Duane Squires recalls a moment from the previous year when his older son misplaced a Jibbitz shoe charm from his Crocs. Squires and his spouse accompanied their son to the location where he believed it had dropped off. In a statement submitted to the Court of King’s Bench, Squires, a detective constable with the Saint John Police Force, recounted the emotional search for the charm, emphasizing its sentimental value to his son as a connection to a deceased friend. The tragic incident involved the stabbing deaths of a 10-year-old basketball teammate and his 17-year-old brother by their father, Roman Kamyshnyy.
Following the murders, the basketball team honored the youngest victim by creating Jibbitz and stickers for their water bottles with his jersey number. Kamyshnyy was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder for the killings, motivated by vengeance against his ex-wife, Witness A, who had recently divorced him.
At the sentencing, Justice Darrell Stephenson highlighted Kamyshnyy’s heinous actions and sentenced him to two concurrent life sentences without parole for 25 years. The impact of the murders reverberated throughout the community, with individuals like Duane Squires and his wife Sara expressing the profound emotional toll caused by the loss of innocence and sense of security in their home.
The tragic event also deeply affected the Saint John High School community, prompting a full crisis response to support students and staff dealing with shock, grief, and anxiety. The lead investigator, Det. Const. David MacDonald, and other officers involved in the case were emotionally impacted by the sheer evilness of the crime, reflecting on the lasting effects it had on their mental well-being and personal lives.
Lawyer Mel Norton, representing the victims’ mother, emphasized the profound impact of the murders on first responders and the broader community, underscoring the loss of children and the violation of safety and security. The tragedy left a permanent mark on the city and highlighted the importance of supporting families in distress, protecting children, and welcoming newcomers to foster a sense of community resilience and care.