The family of a murder victim in New Brunswick says they are devastated after discovering their lost loved one's grave had been vandalized last week.
Lenore Polchies, the mother of Lucas Solomon-Polchies, who was killed more than a year ago, said when she arrived at the cemetery where her son was buried Wednesday night, she found everything burned.
“I came here almost every night to say goodnight,” she told the Globe on Sunday. “Everything burned down. I just fell to the ground.”
Lucas was found on the side of a highway in Lincoln, New Brunswick, with gunshot wounds at around 4 a.m. on March 12, 2023. He died in hospital.
The New Brunswick RCMP Major Crimes Unit has ruled Polkis' death a homicide. Joshua Raines, 47, and Samantha Butler, 21, were charged The following month, he was charged with second-degree murder in connection with his death.
“It was bad enough that he was murdered. We were still waiting to go to court,” Polkis said. “And then to find out he was burned? Not physically, but still. It's a nightmare for a mother to see.”
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Lucas is buried at St Ann's Catholic Church on the Kingsclere Aboriginal Reserve.
Lucas Solomon-Porkis' sister, Kayla Solomon, provided the Globe with a grainy photo of the burned grave, which showed the land in front of the cemetery had been completely burned and blackened.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Solomon
Lucas' sister, Kayla Solomon, provided the Globe with a grainy photo of the burned grave, which showed the land in front of the cemetery completely burned and blackened. Solomon said it smelled like propane.
The family said they have notified the lead investigator in the case. An RCMP spokesperson said Sunday that police could not comment on the matter.
Bill Brennan, pastor of St. Ann's Catholic Church, said he learned of the incident on Friday and his thoughts are with the family of the deceased, who are already grieving and now are even more devastated. “It is very painful for them to have such a disrespectful thing happen,” Brennan said.
“He was already six feet deep in the ground. Why burn him? Why would they do this to hurt him?” asked the victim's mother.
Polkis said her family had cleared the charred soil and ash, but they remained wary and angry.
“I'm having a hard time. It's been a devastating week, and my mood has gone from sad to angry. I'm having nightmares and I'm afraid of my own home. I want to find out who did this. Some psychopath who just wanted to hurt his family,” Polkis told the Globe in tears.
The family said they are in the process of obtaining nearby camera footage to further investigate the details of the incident.
— With files from Anna Mandin, Global News
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