Friend recalls latest homicide victim as a man who loved fun

Friends are remembering Derek Alexander Garnham as a funloving man while they wait for answers in his death.

The 32-year-old was found shot to death in a fourth-floor apartment of the Alexander Plaza at 119th Avenue and 34th Street on Jan. 19. His death was the third homicide of the year in Edmonton and investigators continue to search for clues.

Matt Dixon has called Garnham a friend for half his life. Now, he is planning a memorial for friends and family who still live back east.

Garnham grew up in Ontario and moved to Nova Scotia in middle school, where the two became fast friends.

Dixon said his friend always had a smile and the type of laugh that could instantly be picked out in a crowd.

“I loved just going over to his place and having a beer and making food, playing video games.” Dixon said. “When we were younger in Nova Scotia we used to rent a camp in the summer and spend days there canoeing and swimming and fishing. I’m just going to miss everything.”

Garnham loved travelling and was particularly fond of Jamaica, sometimes going more than once in a year.

When the pair spoke over Christmas, Garnham asked for a specific beer not available in Alberta.

“That’s my last wish I’m gonna fulfil, and bring that drink to him one last time,” Dixon said.

Police ask anyone with information on Garnham’s death to call 780-423-4567 or #377 from a cellphone.

To submit a tip anonymously to CrimeStoppers call 1-800-2228477 or visit www.tipsubmit.com.