'I miss everything about her': Goforth, Bear families share victim impact statements
Families remember Kelly Goforth, 21, and Richele Bear, 23
One day after a surprising confession, and after years of agony and unanswered questions, two Regina families faced the man who admitted to killing their loved ones in court on Tuesday.
Kelly Goforth, 21, and Richele Bear, 23, were both killed by Clayton Bo Eichler.
Goforth's body was found in a dumpster in September 2013, but Bear's remains were never found.
Eichler pleaded guilty to second degree murder in both cases on Sept. 19 and was sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 20 years.
On Tuesday, members of Kelly and Richele's families read victim impact statements to the court.
Here is what they said:
Maxine Goforth (Kelly Goforth's mother)
"The past three years have been agony for us, for me, living without my baby, my partner. She was my youngest girl. Losing Kelly forever changed my life. It affected in all aspects. I've cried many, many nights questioning, 'Why? Why?' The answer will never come.
"I haven't slept a day prior to Sept. 19. I lost my sense of security for my children. I always felt I could protect my children. That is questionable since the death of my child. I have had to find the inner strength that I didn't even think was there to go for the child that was left behind not by choice from his mom. He will never get to feel his mommy's love her arms around him. Kelly will never be able to see her son grow up. To see her child succeed, graduate, or get married.
Since losing Kelly, my life has been turmoil. I still cry for my daughter, long to still be able to still confide in her, cry to her, to hug her.-Maxine Goforth
"Since Kelly's death, I've faced many sleepless nights. I've endured a feeling of emptiness, despair, the agony of burying my Kelly. To see my baby girl's life, this body laying in the funeral home, and the sheer agony of lowering her into the ground, I never thought I'd have to do that. That itself was another form of torture. I relive that countless times.
"Since losing Kelly, my life has been turmoil. I still cry for my daughter, long to still be able to still confide in her, cry to her, to hug her. I was close to my baby girl. She grew up always by my side. I miss her every day. Every time I look at my K.C., I've since contemplated leaving this city because of the past with my girl. The list goes on.
"Losing my girl meant losing a beautiful, beautiful soul. Kelly's death meant we could never hear her say, I could never hear her say, 'Hi mommy' ever again. I miss everything about her. I long to see her gleaming smile, her sense of humour, her big hearther huge heart.
"I'll never get to see future grandchildren, to see my girl fulfill her dreams. Kelly had a heart of goldwas irreplaceable. To get this far has been a process. It has not been an easy one."
Michele Bear (Richele Bear's mother)
"She is remembered by her smile, her love that she could give to everyone. Only when Richele is brought home and returned and put to rest will we, our family, our friends start our healing.
"Myself, I am still stuck and I cannot move forward. Only when Richele is brought home to rest is when I can move forward."
Angela Gray (Richele Bear's aunt)
"Richele also known as Roach touched the lives of each and every person she met. Richele was the greatest person. She was not a perfect person and never did she claim to be, but she had an amazing heart and beautiful attitude that made everyone around her smile.
"Richele was a happy-go-lucky young woman. She had many friends and would bend over backwards for them all.
"I had the opportunity to watch this smart, beautiful soul grow from a baby to a woman. I watched her enjoy life and I watched her struggle through it. I don't want to be sad when I think of Richele. Right now, it's hard to get the thoughts of what you did to her out of my mind. I hope that in time, I am able to remember the good times I had with my niece.
"Richele didn't even get the chance to experience life, attend Notre Dame, get a career, have a boyfriend that became her husband. She was stripped from the opportunity of becoming a mother someday, all because you took her away, took her life brutally, just shy of her 24th birthday.
"My baby girl loved helping people and had a forgiving heart. She lived with me and helped me with my children who loved their auntie Roach.
"I lay awake at night thinking about what to write in this letter. Sometimes the letter is angry, sometimes it's sorrowful, and sometimes it makes me smile. But there is one thing for sure it's always painful. There's no way that one can prepare themselves for this. Most believe that it will never happen to them. I was one of those people until you murdered my niece."
Mary Hughes (Richele Bear's grandmother)
"My granddaughter Richele Bear meant the world to me. She was always a happy-go-lucky person at all times. When she would see me, always a hug and a kiss. 'How are you doing grandma?'
"When she was over to the house, she was ready to help me out. Now, all I have are the memories and dreams of her coming home, but that moment will never. As you, Mr. Eichler, you have taken that all away from me and my family. First of all, I would like you to look at me. I'm a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, and in the blink of an eye you managed to take my granddaughter Richele away from me.
"I don't think you ever knew Richele as I did. I will never understand why. I would like to know what you did with her body so we may have closure, too. Please and thank you."
Ezekiel Bigknife (Kelly Goforth'sbrother)
Bigknife's statement was read by a victim services worker.
"I dread the day when K.C. gets older and asks, 'What happened? Who is his mom?' On September 23, 2013, my life changed tremendously, and not in a good way. Either I can't even explain how much losing my big sister Kelly has affected myself and my life for the past three years, and yet to this day I still wonder, 'Why? Why? Why would and why did that sick person have to do this?' He stole someone who was a loving, caring, and a one-of-a-kind person. She was a mother, a sister, cousin, niece, granddaughter, and most of all she was a daughter, also, a very good friend to many family and friends.
"I don't even know how to explain it into words. I'm lost without my little, big sister Kelly. Her and myself were the youngest out of my five siblings. We were the babies of the family. Not a single day goes by when my sister doesn't go through my mind. I try to show people and act like I'm OK, but deep down I just want to lash out and fall onto my knees and cry. After all the time has past, it still doesn't bring back my sister. I wish I could turn back time to when it was OK, when my life was completeall of my siblings. It eats me up inside that my sweet, loving, caring sister, my Kells Bells, had to get stolen from me.
She is stolen. She was robbed of her life. The pain is not explainable.-Ezekiel Bigknife
"She was too young, far too young with a whole lot of life ahead of her. So much potential and she was robbed of it. She was stolen. There is no other way I can put it. Kelly did not deserve to be murdered. She did not deserve to be disrespected and thrown away in the garbage like she was nothing. She didn't deserve any of that. It's not up to us. No man, no woman should be able to say whether or not somebody should live. That man broke one of God's Ten Commandments. He doesn't know the pain and hurt he did to my family, also to myself.
"I have truly never been more disgusted and angry at somebody in my life. This man needs to know what he's done and it's not OK. He needs to understand that the choices he made are not tolerable. Everyday I wonder how my life would have been if this man would not have done this to her, to us. I wonder what and how Kelly would be today. But behind every thought, I know Kelly is gone and nothing can bring her back. I miss my sister Kelly every damn day, every minute of the day. She is constantly on my mind. I will honestly never be the same again without my sister. My life will never be the same.
"It makes me wonder, 'Where is this person's morals? Does he feel sorry for my family? Does he know that he will have to answer for our wrongdoings one day?'
"As I said before, I do not know how to put my pain, my feelings into words. All I can say is that my sister is gone. She is stolen. She was robbed of her life. The pain is not explainable. All I can say is that she didn't deserve that. No one should have to bury their child, and I'm lost without my sister."
With files from CBC's Adam Hunter
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