Wendy Ladner-Beaudry would have turned 60 on Wednesday.
The mother of two was killed while out for a run on a popular trail in Pacific Spirit Park in Vancouver on April 3, 2009.
This weekend marks the seven-year anniversary of her murder.
Her family says, even now, their pain is still palpable.
Today, the family announced they are offering a $30,000 reward for new information that would lead to arrests and criminal charges against whoever is responsible for taking Wendy’s life.
“Once again, the family is coming forward on this date to plea to the public to help us solve this horrible crime,” said Wendy’s brother Peter Ladner, fighting back tears. “This tragedy has now been hanging over family, friends, acquaintances and the whole community for seven years. Wendy was, as police call it, a true victim, killed in what appears to be an unmotivated, random attack while she was running at the park.”
Ladner says Wendy’s death has not just changed their family, but has also impacted thousands of other people.
“Pacific Spirit Park is the most popular regional park in Metro Vancouver, we are told, and 97 per cent of residents think of their parks as safe,” he says. “Until this murder is solved, this park is not safe. People from all over the region who use the park don’t feel the same way about it as they once did. They too have lost a piece of their lives because of this senseless crime.”
Wendy’s husband, Michel Beaudry, who has been cleared as a suspect, was not able to attend the press conference, saying Wendy’s death is still too overwhelming for him.
Wendy’s brother read out a statement on his behalf:
“For the last seven years, my daughters and I had to deal with the loss of one of the most generous and outgoing women one could ever want to meet. My children’s mother, their mentor, my life partner, my best friend, she is gone forever. The toll on our lives is terrible, for Wendy is no longer here to challenge us, to make us laugh, to help us see the world, the positive happy place she always believed it was. But the biggest torment for our family is that there’s been no closure. Every night I go to bed, wondering what Wendy’s murderer is doing right now, what it’s like to kill someone and get away with it, how it feels to have this woman’s blood on your hands.”
Police say they remain determined to find Wendy’s killer.
Two years ago, the case was turned over to the Major Crimes Unit to assign a dedicated team to go over all the evidence received throughout the years.
Initially, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team came up with a list of more than 300 persons of interest in the case.
The majority of them have now been eliminated as possible suspects.
No new tips or leads have been received by investigators, but police are asking anyone with information to give them a call and let them make a determination on whether that information is valuable to the investigation.
The reward that the family announced today will be held in trust and will only be released when someone has been arrested or charged with Wendy’s murder based on the information received by the police in the next 12 months. It will expire on March 31, 2017.
“We know someone out there knows something, or they have been suspicious about someone, or they are protecting someone,” said Ladner. “Our biggest hope is that if you are that person, you will hear this and come forward.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Major Crime tip line at 778-290-5291, or, if you wish to remain anonymous, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.