Mother of suspect in homicides, Winnipeg hospital attack remembered as vibrant ‘bright light’ – Winnipeg

As police in Manitoba work to piece collectively what led a person to allegedly kill his mother and father and stab a co-worker in a brazen assault at a Winnipeg hospital, the suspect’s mom is being remembered as a vibrant and energetic girl who was dedicated to sustainable farming.

Judy Swain, 73, was discovered lifeless at a house within the Rural Municipality of Hanover Wednesday.

Police allege the identical suspect in Swain’s murder is chargeable for the loss of life of a person in his 70s discovered lifeless in a Toronto Road house in Winnipeg, in addition to an assault later within the day at Seven Oaks Hospital that left a health-care employee in her 60s critically injured.

International Information has confirmed the sufferer within the hospital assault is Candyce Szkwarek, who was final reported to be in secure, however vital situation following surgical procedure Thursday.

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Police have stated the suspect — a person in his  30s — was identified to all three victims, however International Information has realized he’s the son of Swain and the person discovered lifeless in Winnipeg.

Phil Veldhuis knew Swain via their work as administrators with Direct Farm Manitoba, a member-owned cooperative of direct advertising and marketing farmers and farmers’ markets within the province.

He says he was shocked to listen to in regards to the loss of life of the “giving and caring individual” he’s identified for a decade.

“It’s a kind of issues that you just by no means would have thought would occur,” Veldhuis instructed International Information Friday.

“Judy was an individual who at all times stepped ahead prepared to volunteer, prepared to come back to conferences, prepared to step ahead and be a frontrunner.

“She was simply this very vibrant gentle.”

Veldhuis stated Swain owned and operated a small farm known as Tri-Pop Farms on her property in New Bothwell, elevating chickens and different livestock. An announcement posted on the farm’s website says the operation used domestically sourced, natural and chemical-free feed each time attainable.

“All of the animals and birds are raised outdoor, in sunshine and air, with mud to root in or dust to scratch in. They’re as content material as I could make them. I consider that’s essential,” reads a piece of the web site attributed to Swain.

“Animals raised in consolation will, in flip, be good for our our bodies and our spirits too.”

Dave Dyck of New Bothwell Nation Type Meats stated Swain was an everyday buyer of theirs and he remembered her as sort when a reporter from 680 CJOB stopped by Thursday.

“She was at all times coming in fall time and get some animals processed. And apart from that, I simply assume she was actually pleasant, candy woman, would attempt to assist all people that she may,” he stated.

Veldhuis stated Swain was additionally a dancer, and dance was so essential to her that Direct Farm Manitoba conferences had been typically organized across the schedule of her dance group.

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“She liked the power of being in movement,” he stated.

“When she talked about (dance) she at all times obtained a twinkle in her eye — she was an individual of large private power.”

The investigation into the 2 homicides and the assault on Szkwarek are persevering with by Manitoba RCMP and Winnipeg police. There’s been no phrase from investigators on a attainable motive.

Anybody with details about the assault or the homicides is requested to name Winnipeg police at 204-986-6508, RCMP at 431-489-8105, or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS.

— with recordsdata from Marney Blunt and Clay Younger

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