Victim’s father vows to see justice done in Sage Hill slayings
CALGARY The father of one of four victims in a quadruple homicide vowed Thursday to follow the cases of those charged in his son’s killing.
Troy Pfeiffer said it was important to see the face of one of those charged, even if it was via closedcircuit TV.
“The real importance of being here today is to show people that we’re not laying down on this; we’re going to be here every time, regardless if it’s seeing their faces through another TV screen,” Pfeiffer said, following a court appearance by accused killer Tewodros Mutugeta Kebede.
Kebede and Yu Chieh Liao, who goes by Diana Liao, are charged with three counts of accessory after the fact to murder in the deaths of Cody Pfeiffer, 25, Tiffany Ear, 39, and Glynnis Fox, 36.
They’re also charged with firstdegree murder in the slaying of Hanock Afowerk, 26.
Cody Pfeiffer, Ear and Fox were found dead in a burning car in Sage Hill on July 10.
Two days later, Afowerk’s body was discovered west of Calgary near the intersections of Highway 22 and Highway 8.
Liao and Kebede were arrested in Toronto in July on unrelated matters, but at the time were described by Calgary police as persons of interest in the quadruple killings.
They were charged last month. Kebede appeared briefly in provincial court via closed-circuit TV Thursday morning, where lawyers asked that his and Liao’s case be adjourned to Nov. 29, as defence lawyers await for Crown disclosure.
Troy Pfeiffer was unfazed by the lack of movement in the case.
“We … just want to be here so everybody knows, yes, they’ve taken Cody physically, but they can’t take him any other way, so we’re just going to show everybody that this is what needs to be done,” he said.
Pfeiffer expressed anger at seeing Kebede on the courtroom monitors.
“First reaction is you want to attack that TV screen,” he said. “It makes the palms sweat and the feet sweat because the anxiety has just peaked itself.”
He said that anxiety has been present since his son’s killing: “You kind of try to put the mad in a level where you can keep your head where it needs to be.”
In describing his son, Pfeiffer said the deceased always had a positive attitude.
“His word for the day was just go; it doesn’t matter if life knocks you down, you just get back up,” the father said.
He said despite suggestions he should move on, Pfeiffer said he’s a long way away from putting his son’s killing behind him.
“They look at you like it’s already been this long already; don’t you think you should get some closure? Well, where does closure begin, because it’s a big part of our family that’s gone,” he said. “It’s just one foot in front of the other, that’s all we can do right now.”
And while he said it took a little extra time to get to court from his home near Lethbridge because of the snow, Pfeiffer said nothing will keep him from tracking court proceedings.
“It’s a two-hour drive, but I would drive 10, 20 hours if I had to,” he said.
Pfeiffer’s son Kyle accompanied him to court.
“He’s destroyed,” the father said of the victim’s brother. “Those two were inseparable.”
Police continue to investigate the case.