October 20 marked the 11th anniversary of the death of Kelowna’s Joseph Pek.
And, all these years later, his family is still seeking answers.
Now a reward is being offered for information about his death which occurred at a house gathering, in the 400-block of Birch Avenue, in 2009.
“Joe didn’t deserve to die the way he did. Joe deserves justice,” said his sister Paulina Pekova in a statement on Dec. 23.
On Oct. 20, just before 1 a.m., Kelowna RCMP found 38-year-old Pek dead near the side of his house. It was determined by police to be a homicide, and the investigation remains open.
“We believe there are people who know what happened to Mr. Pek who haven’t spoken to us. His family deserves answers, and we are asking you to come forward now,” said Kelowna RCMP Inspector Kent Lowe.
However, it was reported in 2009 that a woman in her 20s was arrested in connection with Pek’s murder.
Previous news reports stated Sherri Lee Kipling admitted to stabbing Pek. Yet, in 2010 Kipling was released and the charges dropped. There is a ban imposed on her record.
Pekova admitted her brother had a history of drugs, crime and was known to police. However, she said, he had a story and was more than his reputation. She remembers him as athletic, and intelligent, and could speak multiple languages. She also remembers him for his kindhearted nature.
Since his death, the holidays have been difficult for the Pek family. It is no longer the celebration it used to be. They now dread this time of year.
She said in 2009, there were people at the house gathering who saw what happened, and can ‘definitively prove’ who stabbed her brother.
“Maybe some of those people are now parents themselves, and I ask them to fathom the kind of pain to lose a child, or brother, or sister, to a vicious murder.”
The family is offering $5000 to anyone that can come forward with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
The entire video statement is available below:
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