Ann Merasty remembers her cousin Jordan Ballantyne as a kind and generous man who quickly made friends.
They grew up together, raised by their grandparents, and soon became very close. When he was found dead on July 13, 2018, she couldn’t believe it.
“Even though he was homeless, he was very generous with what he had,” Merasty remembered. “I don’t think he had any enemies. Every person he met considered him a friend after, because he was really gentle. He was kind. He was funny. He had a weird sense of humour. I can’t imagine who would do that to him.”
The circumstances around Ballantyne’s death remain suspicious. Police have investigated his death over the last year, and put out a new call for information as the one year anniversary approached.
On Saturday, Merasty and dozens of Ballantyne’s friends and family gathered in the yard where his body was found. They said prayers and lit candles for a beloved brother, cousin, uncle and friend whose death still troubles him.
“Hopefully something comes up,” said Karen Charles, another one of Ballantynes cousins. “Maybe … somebody knows something out there and hopefully whoever it is comes out and tells what happened.”
“There are so many people who knew Jordan,” Merasty added. “Somebody has to know something.”
Merasty said family members have been in constant contact with the police since over the past year, however details are hard to come by. They’ve been told police have no new leads.
On Friday, July 12, the Prince Albert Police Service put out a call for anyone who had previously contacted them about Ballantyne’s death to do so again. Police say the follow-ups can help lead to new information.
Meanwhile, the family will keep praying and walking in hopes that someday, those responsible for Jordan’s death will be brought to justice.
“We are hoping that somebody would have the courage to come out and speak up, so we can hopefully have closure and give our family some piece. As long as there is no justice served, we’ll keep doing the walk every year in memory of Jordan.”
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call police at 306-953-4238 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
