The family of a man who was fatally stabbed in Abbotsford in September is hoping charges will soon be laid in the case and they can have the answers they are seeking.
Tyler Wiebe, 32, died after being stabbed Sept. 1, 2022 at the Balsam Apartments at 1968 McCallum Rd.
Wiebe’s wife, Kristie Dueck – from whom he had been separated for two years – and his brother Jason Spicer say they are desperate to know what happened that day.
They said they have heard “endless rumours” about what actually occurred but they have had no confirmation from investigators.
They don’t know why Wiebe was at that apartment building nor do they know his connection to the main suspect in the case.
“I’ve gone out of my way to find my own answers because I’m not getting them from anyone who should be giving them to me,” Dueck said. “It’s become an obsession for me.”
Wiebe’s death left Dueck a single parent to their two daughters – ages 3 1/2 and 5 1/2. She said it has been difficult trying to answer the questions that her kids have. Her oldest daughter has concerns that the “bad man” is going to get her.
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Dueck said having more clarity about the situation would provide some closure.
“I want them (police) to make it make sense. Even if you can’t do it right now, tell me why,” she said.
“I get to lie in the dark at night, when I’m trying to fall asleep, replaying the scenario that I made up in my own head about what happened. It’s like my own little TV channel inside my brain where I get to see him die over and over again.”
Spicer said he has found it difficult to grieve and heal without knowing the specifics. He wishes police would be more forthcoming, although he understands they can’t reveal everything they know.
Spicer also laments the glacial pace of the justice system.
“Getting it to the point where they can actually charge someone is insane … I don’t know why it’s so hard,” he said.
Meanwhile, they are left to mourn the loss of a man they say could “find the fun in anything.”
Dueck recalls the first time she met Wiebe, when she was 15 and hanging out in a field in Abbotsford with some friends. Wiebe, who knew the same group of friends, walked up to them, carrying a Rubbermaid bin on his back, and pretended to be a turtle.
At first, Dueck thought he was odd, but they began dating a month later.
“There was just something about him. He was very charming, extremely charismatic. He could sell you back your own garbage,” she said.
The pair were married on Sept. 14, 2013. The day before the wedding, Wiebe was thrilled to parade through the mall and grab a meal at McDonald’s wearing his all-white wedding tux.
Their wedding party danced down the aisle to the song New York by Alicia Keys and Jay-Z, and Wiebe had no qualms about doing The Worm on the dance floor later that evening.
The had two daughters together – Harmony and Riley – and Wiebe was a devoted dad. He would climb the monkey bars at the park while telling them stories, and would frequently get down on the floor and play with them.
Dueck said their separation was hard on him, and he suffered some mental-health struggles that led to his using drugs recreationally to “self-medicate.” But his daughters continued to be his priority.
Wiebe worked as a framer and a tow-truck driver over the years, but his biggest dream was to be a rap star. Dueck said he was a guitarist and a “phenomenal songwriter” who performed under the stage name Nameless at some local venues.
In recent years, his music had become more Christian-based.
Dueck and Spicer said that they – and Wiebe’s large extended family – are still trying to come to grips with his loss.
“It’s only been four months, and there are a countless number of things we’ve missed out on,” she said.
RELATED: Online fundraiser started for family of Abbotsford murder victim
The family celebrated Wiebe’s birthday on Oct. 15 by releasing biodegradable balloons in a park. His mom, Tracy, arranged to have one of Wiebe’s songs, Soldier, played on the radio.
Dueck is continuing to honour Wiebe’s memory by posting a photo or video of him every day on her Facebook page with a memory and using the hashtag “#justicefortyler”.
“He will not be a forgotten file on the corner of a desk somewhere,” she writes.
The family also has a GoFundMe campaign underway. It can be found by searching “Funeral costs and support for Tyler’s daughters” at gofundme.com.
The investigation on Wiebe’s killing is being handled by the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, which does not comment on the specifics of individual cases before charges are laid.
vikki.hopes@abbynews.com
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Tyler Wiebe was an aspiring rap artist who wrote and recorded his own music. (Facebook photo)
Tyler Wiebe was fatally stabbed in Abbotsford on Sept. 1, 2022. (Facebook photo)
