The family of a baby boy found dead in Edmonton over the weekend is speaking out and trying to raise money to cover funeral costs as police investigate what happened.
Jarock Humeniuk’s loved one said Friday they will be remember him as a happy, smiley and giggly baby.
Six-month old Jarock was found dead Sunday morning in a case investigators are calling suspicious. The homicide unit is tasked with determining what happened to him.
On Monday, Jarock’s autopsy results came back inconclusive and no charges have been laid in his death.
READ MORE: Edmonton police homicide unit has ‘formally taken over’ infant death investigation
Watch below: On May 29, 2017, Shallima Maharaj filed this report about the investigation into the suspicious death of a baby boy over the weekend. Edmonton police said it was now being “formally” handled by its homicide unit.
The baby’s great aunt, Brandee Humeniuk, said Jarock was in his father’s care at the time of his death, though he normally lived with his young mother and grandmother.
“He was the light of their life,” Brandee said on Friday. “He brought them, I believe, more joy than they thought he would.”
Brandee said extended family gathered in Edmonton to support Jarock’s mother and grandmother on Sunday.
“It was very sombre,” she said.
“Nobody really had much to say. You didn’t know what to say. Little things, like I’d gone into the kitchen and Jarock’s formula was sitting on the counter. It put me in tears.”
The great aunt said Jarock was his mother’s pride and joy.
“She did everything she could for that baby. She was devoting her life to him. She was dead-set, hell-bent on being a great mom to that boy.”
Jarock’s mother is 17 years old, so the boy’s grandmother was also a central figure in his life. He was her only grandchild.
“I can hear the heartache in her voice every time I talk to her,” Brandee said.
“And you want to have these conversations with her but it’s really hard to not talk about the topic at hand. ‘What’s going on, have we heard any more? Do we know what ultimately ended Jarock’s life?'”
Brandee started a GoFundMe page to help pay for funeral costs.
“I desperately want this baby to be put to rest the way he deserves,” she said, adding nobody thinks to save for the death of an infant.
“They’re young. You don’t expect at six months that this is something you’re going to have to deal with.”
The baby had been to the hospital once before in his short life.
“Back in December, Jarock was taken to the hospital from what looked like a leg that was starting to swell a bit. It turns out that Jarock suffered from a fractured leg and he was casted.”
Police investigated at the time, but Brandee said they determined it was an accident and no charges were ever laid.
A viewing was held Thursday night for Jarock, and he will likely be cremated next week.
“He was just a spoiled-rotten baby who didn’t deserve this in any way,” she said. “Not knowing what happened is harder than you can imagine.”