Slain girl’s dad devastated: friend

Suspect in three-year-old’s death makes brief appearance in provincial court

The father of a slain Calgary child is devastated over her death, a close family friend said Wednesday.

Family friend Nancy Sloan was at the Calgary Courts Centre for the first appearance of the man charged with Ivy Wick’s death.

Justin Paul Bennett appeared briefly in provincial court where his lawyer, Allan Fay, adjourned the case for two weeks to get disclosure from the Crown. Bennett remains in custody. Outside court, Sloan said she has many questions about the death of three-year-old Ivy.

“I want justice for Ivy,” Sloan said following Bennett’s court appearance. “She was a good kid.”

Sloan said she became a surrogate grandmother to the child, taking on a parental role with Ivy ’s dad, Chris Wick, after the death of his mother.

“Her and her dad were so good and this has really taken an impact on Chris. They ’re just sick, they ’re just sick about it.”

Sloan was close with Chris’s mother, Amanda, who died of cancer when Ivy’s mother was pregnant with the child. She said the dying woman asked her to keep an eye on her children after her death.

She said Chris Wick was still dealing with the death of his mother when he lost his daughter as well.

“He’s just lost his mom five years ago and now he’s lost his daughter,” Sloan said.

“He’s not doing good, he’s not doing good at all.”

Bennett, 25, was arrested on Sept. 7 and charged with seconddegree murder in Ivy’s death.

Emergency crews were called to a Calgary home last Sept. 27 for reports of a child in medical distress. She was rushed to hospital where she died of her injuries a week later.

Police originally considered the child’s mother a potential suspect, but after Bennett’s arrest police indicated they were looking for no other suspects.