‘Taken too soon’: family mourns murdered woman
Former city resident killed in murder-suicide in Newfoundland
The family of a Regina woman is grieving the sudden and brutal loss of “a beautiful, loving and caring” soul who was taken too soon.
Ryanna Grywacheski was killed in a murder-suicide on Saturday in Newfoundland.
Late Tuesday, the family emailed the Leader-Post a statement, which began: “Taken too soon from us all, there are not enough words to describe Ryanna. Beautiful, loving and caring. A sweet young woman, daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece and cousin.”
The statement was issued by Grywacheski’s aunt Cornelia Behr on behalf of the teen’s mother Pam and the family. It continued:
“She was always smiling and willing to lend a helping hand. She was passionate about anything she set her mind to. She loved animals. She loved to bake and cook. And she was a very talented and creative artist who aspired to become a welder.
“In 2013, while walking to school, she was hit by a car. After months of rehabilitation she struggled with depression. As many her age do. She also struggled with finding her own path. But she was unique and never afraid to be herself. She was strong, and overcame many obstacles in the short time she had with us all.
“Coming from a large family, she was Ukrainian and Polish on her mother’s side, and Irish, Scottish and Cree on her father’s. So she had many family and friends of different ethnicities and never discriminated against anyone. She honestly had a heart of gold.
“She will be greatly missed by us all.”
Grywacheski met Jeff Kilfoy in Regina and moved with him to Newfoundland at the end of July. The couple was not married.
They’d been living in Newfoundland for less than two months when Grywacheski was discovered dead inside a home in Marystown on Saturday afternoon. That night, the RCMP named Kilfoy in a public advisory they issued.
“We requested the public’s assistance if they observed Mr. Kilfoy to not approach as we believed he was possibly armed and dangerous, but to report it to the RCMP or CrimeStoppers,” said Sgt. Richard Marshall with the RCMP Major Crimes Unit in Newfoundland on Tuesday.
On Sunday, Kilfoy’s body was discovered in a wooded area in Mooring Cove.
Marshall confirmed the 18-yearold woman from Regina was the victim of a homicide, but in keeping with the family’s wishes would not release her name.
“The 37-year-old male, who was named, died as a result of a suicide,” he said.
Taylor Balfour was in disbelief when she got news her schoolmate had been murdered in Newfoundland.
“Originally, I thought it was a mistake,” said the University of Regina student.
Balfour and Grywacheski became close friends over the four years they spent at Balfour Collegiate.
On Monday night, friends forwarded Balfour a news article that named Grywacheski as the 18-year-old woman who was discovered dead Saturday. Overcome, Balfour couldn’t finish reading the story.
She and Grywacheski hadn’t stayed in close contact following their high school graduation in 2016.
“When I heard of her death, I was shocked that she wasn’t in Regina — as far as I knew, she was still here,” Balfour said.
“I’d heard that she was with someone, but I didn’t hear any details about who that was.”
Recalling their high school years, she recalled Grywacheski being hospitalized for some time after she was hit by a vehicle.
“In Grade 9, she was in this really horrible car accident when she was walking to school, ” Balfour said. “She suffered a lot of trauma from it, but she came out swinging.”
The accident had a long-lasting mental and physical impact.
“She was just as kind and sweet as she was before, but you could tell she was definitely more anxious, she had trouble focusing on school from time to time and I know it was difficult for her to write some days,” Balfour continued.
“Her wrists were somewhat damaged because she’d tried to stop herself from crashing into the car with her hands.”
She talked Grywacheski through some tough times, particularly between Grade 11 and Grade 12.
“She told me that she wasn’t doing so well so, as a birthday gift, I bought her a locket and put a picture inside that had a quote saying something like, ‘You’re doing great. Keep up the good work.’ She loved it so much that she showed it off in front of our English class and said it meant the world to her and that it was one of the best gifts she’d ever been given.
“The little things people did for her, she never forgot.”
When the young women graduated in 2016, Grywacheski thanked Balfour.
One of her friend’s talents was welding — an elective she took through high school.
“She was phenomenal at it,” Balfour said.
Some of Grywacheski’s artwork was displayed on the walls of the girls’ high school.
“She was an absolutely incredible person,” Balfour said