Friends stunned as Kelowna dad charged in murders

Theirs was a whirlwind romance.

Six months after Clara and Jacob Forman first met in January 2005, they started dating. They were engaged by the end of October and married three weeks later.

After they married, Clara left everything she knew in Mexico and came to Canada to build a life with the man she called her best friend, the love of her life.

“God blessed our feeble efforts with good jobs, good friends, a great church family and most importantly, 2 of the best little humans a couple of people could ask for. 10 years later you are still the person I want to grow old with,” she wrote on their 10th anniversary.

On Wednesday, Jacob was charged with the second-degree murders of Clara and their two daughters, eight-year-old Karina Anne and seven-year-old Yesinia Kate. The three were found dead in their Kelowna home on Tuesday. According to court records, they were killed on Dec. 17.

Jacob, who has been ordered to remain in custody, appeared in provincial court in Kelowna on Thursday, and will be back on Jan. 18.

Kelowna RCMP Const. Lesley Smith, who did not confirm the identities of the deceased, described the event as “an isolated incident.” Those who knew the family have been left in shock.

Jeff McLeod, a neighbour, told the Kelowna Daily Courier that the family had lived in their home for about a “year or less.”

Jacob Forman’s Facebook page is filled with pictures of him with his wife and two daughters.

“You’d see two girls ... playing outside once in a while,” McLeod said.

Another neighbour, who didn’t want his name published, said he saw the two girls regularly.

He said they seemed happy — when he shovelled snow into a pile in the winter they would come out and play, and they rode their bikes on the street in the summer.

There had never been any police cars or ambulances at the home before Tuesday evening, McLeod said.

“This is a very quiet neighbourhood,” he said. “It’s pretty shocking, what’s happened.”

Forman was employed by Ace Plumbing and Heating in Kelowna.

Clara Forman, who hailed from Mexicali, Mexico, worked as a group fitness instructor at GoodLife Fitness Kelowna Capri.

Amanda Thomson, general manager of the fitness club, called Clara a great employee with “the best attitude ever,” and generous with her time, helping with fundraising.

“She’ll be dearly missed; her girls will be dearly missed. We all loved them here. We’re all pretty heartbroken about this,” Thomson said.

A candlelight vigil is being planned for Dec. 28 at 5:30 p.m. in Stuart Park.