Several dozen people gathered in downtown Winnipeg for a vigil in remembrance of Marcedes Myran as the trial of the man accused of killing her and three other women is set to begin.
Members of Myran’s family lit candles and spoke about the 26-year-old at the gathering outside Winnipeg Law Courts on Sunday evening.
“Me and my family are just spending a lot of time together and speaking a lot about my sister, and just trying to do some relaxing time before we have to go through this,” said Jorden Myran, who was among those who sang and drummed, wearing a shirt with her sister’s photo.
“It’s been very heavy on our hearts. This next month is going to be very, very hard on us.”
Jeremy Skibicki has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in the 2022 deaths of Myran, 39-year-old Morgan Harris, 24-year-old Rebecca Contois and a fourth unidentified woman whom community members have named Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, or Buffalo Woman.
Jurors were selected on Thursday and are scheduled to start hearing evidence on May 8.
Felicia Fiddler, who is Marcedes’s cousin but calls her a sister, said it’s been a hard couple of days ahead of the trial, but that her family is making do.
“I don’t think it’s quite hit me yet,” she said. “She was a very lovely person, always happy, always joking.”
Marcedes’s two children were at the vigil as well. Her grandmother, Donna Bartlett, said things have been very hard for them and right now all her attention is focused on the trial.
“I’m really appreciative of all the people that came to support us,” she said. “[It’s been] a very long road, very long — difficult, heartbreaking, emotional, straining — anything you can think of. It’s very hard.”