Christine Alcrow remembers how her late cousin Tanya always had a joke to share, despite some of the challenges she faced.
The 19-year-old didn’t open up to everyone, but was close with family. Christine cherished the moments Tanya shared her emotions.
“I’m really happy I got to know that part of her,” Christine told Global News in an interview.
Tanya is Saskatoon’s fourth homicide victim of 2020 after her death on Monday.
Christine is still coming terms with what happened to her younger cousin, who lived with her for roughly five months about four years ago.
“When she was pregnant, she looked a little lost, so I took her in and I helped her get ready to have the baby,” Christine said.
Her daughter’s birth was a blessing to the family. Tanya is also mourned by her seven siblings, Christine said.
Much of the family is from the northern village of Beauval, roughly 400 kilometres north of Saskatoon.
Relatives made funeral arrangements on Wednesday and plan to gather at a Beauval cemetery on Thursday for a graveside service.
“She was so young and confused, and like, lost. We’re not sure why she was where she was when it happened,” Christine said.
Saskatoon police found Tanya Alcrow near the intersection of Avenue T South and 21st Street West around 3:40 a.m. Monday. She’d been shot and died in hospital.
Now her family wants to know who is behind the crime.
“I just don’t understand how someone can just do that and then go and hide and then not feel bad for what they did,” Christine said.
“It’s shocking and overwhelming.”
Police previously stated Tanya’s autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.
As the family grieves, people in Beauval have held two fundraisers, which raised $2,000 to help with funeral expenses. As of Wednesday, roughly $2,000 more had come in the form of donations, according to Beauval Mayor Nick Daigneault.
“When a tragedy happens, you just feel like it’s you versus the world and we want the families to know … whatever you need, we’re here,” Daigneault said.
The Alcrow family is “instrumental” in Beauval, with members holding various roles in the village, the mayor said.
“We’re in this together. We’re a community, but we’re also a family.”
Anyone with information about Tanya Alcrow’s death should contact the Saskatoon Police Service at 306-975-8300 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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