'Time stopped on that day': Ethan Bespflug's grieving family marks anniversary of his death
April 11, 2023, marks a horrific, life-altering day that has been forever engrained in the minds of Ethan Bespflug’s family.
"It's like time stopped on that day,” said Holly Indridson, Bespflug’s mother. “It doesn't even feel like it's been a year.”
Her 17-year-old son was travelling on a bus in Surrey when he was stabbed. He was rushed to hospital but couldn’t be saved.
The bus was travelling near King George Skytrain Station at the time. A memorial was later held in a nearby park, where dozens of friends and family members gathered.
The incident sent shockwaves through the Lower Mainland – and the grief has been excruciating for Indridson and her young family.
"It's very, very hard. (My daughter) asks me almost every time we get in the vehicle if we're going to pick him up from school.”
On the anniversary of his death, Bespflug’s mother and stepfather, along with their two young daughters, wore T-shirts with his face printed on them.
Their youngest daughter pointed to her brother’s face and proudly exclaimed, “Ethan!”
The family has since moved to a new home, both to escape the memory of their terrible tragedy and to save money.
"It was a disaster because we were leaving behind his bedroom, we weren't setting up a room. His bed, his furniture, everything is just sitting in boxes in our living room,” said Indrigson,
She has yet to step on a bus since her son’s death.
"I can't even look at a bus, and they're everywhere. Every time I’m driving, it throws off my whole mindset."
Murder charge laid
A second-degree murder charge was laid nearly a week after Bespflug was killed.
Kaiden Mintenko, 20, was arrested in Burnaby and is set to face trial in December.
Bespflug’s parents say they won’t be attending, after his stepfather attended pre-trial and found it extremely difficult to bear.
New beginnings
While the past year has brought an unimaginable amount of pain to the family, there has been one blessing: the birth of their newborn son.
"All of a sudden we ended up with this little guy, Raymond. Ethan's middle name (was) Raymond,” said Indridson.
Her son’s middle names are also tributes to Bespflug’s cat, who died shortly after he was killed, and to the late teen’s best friend.
The two brothers will never meet but Indridson says Ethan’s memory will be a big part of their son’s life.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Male, female killed, 2 others injured in 'gun battle' outside Toronto plaza: police
Two people are dead and two others suffered serious injuries following a shooting that police have described as a 'gun battle' outside a plaza in Scarborough, Ont. early Wednesday morning.
Canada's envoy to NYC called to testify about $9M condo purchase on 'Billionaires' Row'
Canada's Consul General in New York will have to explain the government's decision to buy a $9 million condo in Manhattan's famous 'Billionaires' Row,' to a parliamentary committee.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
Wildfire north of Calgary prompts evacuation alert, highway closures
A wildfire is prompting evacuations and highway closures north of Calgary.
Price of new housing dipped slightly in June: Statistics Canada
The cost of a new house was slightly cheaper in June compared to May, according to Statistics Canada. Prices dropped 0.2 per cent month-over-month, which is the first time in 2024 that new houses have sold for cheaper than the month prior.
'Inside Out 2' becomes highest-grossing animated movie of all time
If there’s one emotion that Disney and Pixar are probably feeling right now, it’s joy. That’s after movie sequel 'Inside Out 2' became the highest-grossing animated film of all time, raking in US$1.46 billion at the global box office and dethroning former record holder 'Frozen 2' from 2019, according to Disney on Wednesday.
2 wildfires less than 8 km away from Jasper townsite, some structures impacted in national park
As the evacuation order continues for Jasper National Park, officials confirm that some structures in the park have been damaged by fire, but they can't confirm what those structures are.
Parts of DVP, Lake Shore Boulevard briefly flooded as Toronto hit with heavy rain
Thunderstorms rolled through Toronto Wednesday afternoon, bringing heavy rain and causing flash flooding on the Don Valley Parkway (DVP), Lake Shore Boulevard and some downtown subway stations.