About 40 people turned up at a candlelight vigil in north Edmonton on Wednesday night to remember the life of 36-year-old Virgil Quinn and to call for his killer to face justice.
“He has three sons that he leaves behind,” Virgil’s mother, Laura Quinn, said. “He has a big family…everybody knew Virgil as a kind person.”
The vigil was held exactly one week after Quinn was found in an alley near 118 Avenue and 82 Street suffering from serious injuries.
READ MORE: Edmonton police say man found in alley off 118 Avenue is victim of homicide
People who gathered at the vigil spoke about their love for Quinn and also acknowledged his life was not without adversity, due in part to addiction issues.
“Virgil suffered mental health issues due to his brain injury two years ago and his addiction to alcohol didn’t help,” Quinn’s mother said. “But he didn’t have to go this way.
“I would like to see justice served. He just didn’t deserve to be murdered.”
Police are asking the public for tips as they investigate Quinn’s death. While they have not revealed the cause of death, they said last week that Quinn was the victim of a homicide.
Anyone with information about the homicide is asked to call police at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-8477 or online.
“He liked to make people laugh,” Quinn’s mother said. “He was always happy. He never wanted to be around any negativity.
“He’d just walk away from stuff like that.”
Quinn’s death marks Edmonton’s 22nd homicide of 2018.