An older sibling, speaking publicly for the first time, is looking for answers into the bombing murder of his sister Vicky Shachtay.
Shachtay, a 23-year-old single mother and quadriplegic, died Nov. 25 after a package, triggered to explode, was delivered to her Innisfail home.
A little more than three weeks have passed, and brother Derek Shachtay, 26, of Didsbury, worries police won’t find the person responsible for her death.
“I do not think the police are making their strongest effort. I don’t think they’re any bit closer. I don’t know if they’re going to find this guy,” said the brother.
He said because the news of his sister’s death hit the media so quickly, he believes the person or people responsible have been scared off.
“He’s not going to be bragging to his friends of what he’s done anymore. He’s going to keep his mouth shut.”
His sister’s death happened just under a year after the family lost their mother, Lou, to cancer. She passed away two days after Christmas, Dec. 27, 2010.
With Christmas approaching this week, Shachtay said it’s hard to stay strong.
“I’m a brand new daddy. I have a one and a half-year-old daughter and I’m expecting my second right away here and I don’t feel like I’m strong enough for them right now.”
He wants to know why someone would kill his sister, “a nice Christian lady”, who lived her life to the fullest.
“I was more mad than anything,” he said of hearing the news. “I am very angry at the person who did this … I have no reason to forgive him at all. I do honestly hope they catch him but I don’t think they will.”
Rick Bercier, the stepfather from Innisfail, said he has already forgiven the person who did this, something Shachtay can’t comprehend.
“It’s the only way to move on,” said the stepdad.
Bercier added he knows people don’t understand how he could forgive so quickly but said his faith has allowed him to do so.
“It’s to me (a) part of healing. You have to do it so you can move forward,” he said.
The stepdad said he too wants to know why.
“Did they know Vicky well? They could have taken three people. Thankfully my granddaughter wasn’t there.” Destiny, Vicky’s daughter, is currently in Bercier’s care.
He said it’s frustrating not to know more about the investigation but said he understands why the police aren’t releasing information.
“I understand they don’t want the information tainted but it’s important to catch the perpetrator,” said Bercier.
Last week the police issued a request to the public for anyone with video surveillance on their property to bring it to the detachment, in case there could be footage of the person who delivered the package.
Sgt. Tim Taniguchi, media relations officer for the RCMP, said there have been responses to the request but said he wouldn’t go into specifics because it is under investigation.
As to concerns from Shachtay that the police won’t find the perpetrator, Taniguchi said the police are making their best effort to find the people involved.
“We are conducting a police investigation, a criminal investigation and our job is to get to the truth which we are trying to do and we are making every effort to accomplish that.”
He said the reason for being so close-lipped is to keep safe any sensitive information.
“In any type of investigation we have to keep some info tight. … we have to manage the information that’s out there.”
Shachtay moved to Innisfail with her siblings, mother and stepfather in 1999 so both Bercier and his wife could be closer to work. She had just moved into the ground level apartment where she died at the end of October.
