The brother of a man who died after allegedly being drugged by an escort says he has questions about the justice system as the woman charged in his death remains out on bail.
Jessica Nicole Renee Kane, 31, is facing 25 charges dating back to 2021, related to accusations she drugged and robbed clients across the Lower Mainland.
She’s also charged with manslaughter in the February 2021 death of Dustin Lefebvre, and accused of drugging and robbing another man in January while out on bail for the previous charges.
In an interview Friday, Lefebvre’s brother Alex Sherry said he can’t understand why Kane remains out on bail while facing such serious charges.
“I want people to see this. I want them to share it, I want them to care,” he said. “I don’t want it to be swept under the rug and on to the next story.
“She’s staying in her nice apartment, taxiing around … living her life on the streets. It’s frustrating and sad … Why is she living a normal life?”
Sherry said Lefebvre was a father of two and a successful businessman who owned his own plumbing company.
He described his brother as a mentor and best friend who he texted dozens of times a day. He said he’s still grappling with grief daily.
“He is the guy who would take his shirt off for you. The most giving human being I’ve ever met. Very generous, not just to family but to friends, his employees — they all loved him like no boss I’ve ever seen loved,” Sherry said.
“He had a certain charisma about him and just a huge heart.”
Sherry said he was at his brother’s house for a barbeque the day before his death.
His brother was dealing with the unexpected loss of his two young sons, after their mother took them back to Ukraine without his knowledge.
That night, after everyone had left, Lefevbre had two women over to “hang out,” he said.
“He’d get just lonely … Sometimes he’d just want a girl’s presence so he could have no judgment and tell them about his feelings, tell them what’s going on. He didn’t really want to share that with his employees or his guy friends,” he said.
“Late in the evening, or the next morning, after some drugs were given to him via the girls, he just never woke up.”
In a previous interview, Lefebvre’s mother told Global News that the people who were present that night phoned 9-1-1 and then took his wallet, phone and iPad before anyone showed up.
He ultimately died of heart failure, she said.
“He didn’t deserve that. You know? He was a lonely guy and just wanted some company,” Sherry said.
“I wish I stayed the night there, maybe (it) wouldn’t have happened.”
Kane was not present for a scheduled appearance at Surrey Provincial Court on Thursday, and a warrant application in her case is due to be heard later this month.
No trial date has been set on the manslaughter charge.
Global News has learned Kane is also under investigation in Alberta. Sources say Edmonton homicide detectives were in B.C. in the fall of 2022 and Surrey RCMP were in Edmonton last year. Neither agency is commenting. No charges have been laid in Alberta.
No charges have been filed in relation to the alleged offences in Alberta.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Sherry said the hardest part about his brother’s death remains “knowing that there’s still someone out there” who is responsible.
“I wish it was just a bad dream,” he said.
-With files from Rumina Daya