Murder victim’s family hopes for closure

After an American man was arrested in connection to the murder of Dwayne Demkiw, his brother said their family hopes to see justice served.

While Darren Demkiw, Dwayne’s younger brother, said his family did not want to comment out of respect for the judicial process — beyond praising investigators for their ongoing efforts — his family is hoping for closure.

“We support the investigation and we are going to let it unfold. Hopefully justice will be served,” said Darren.

Dwayne Demkiw, 42, a father of two, was last seen leaving his work as a limousine driver near 149 Street and 128 Avenue in Edmonton around 4 a.m. on May 31, 2015. His car was found on fire in Calgary just hours later.

On April 5, investigators were called in after a person discovered human bones in a wooded area in Innisfail. Ten days later, those remains were officially identified as the missing Demkiw.

“Even though time has been passing by, we knew, we always had that hope, maybe he might just come home,” said Dwayne’s father, Eugene Demkiw, in an interview with the Regina Leader Post. “It’s a blow and a shock, but a relief in another way that they found him.”

Edmonton homicide detectives connected Jason Steadman, a 41-year-old American man, to Demkiw’s disappearance. In October, a Canada-wide warrant was issued for Steadman on charges of first-degree murder and arson.

Steadman was arrested and remains in custody in the U.S.

Alberta’s attorney general and the Edmonton police have applied for Steadman’s extradition to Canada to face the charges.

While Demkiw’s family waits for justice, his brother said they came one step closer to closure as Dwayne’s remains have been released from the medical examiner, allowing the family to have a proper celebration of his life over a year after Dwayne’s death.