Girlfriend charged in homicide probe

Woman and her daughter accused of being accessories in shooting death

When friends and family gathered to mourn the death of Jacob Thompson at a celebration of his life Thursday night, one notable person was missing from the congregation.

His longtime girlfriend, Geneva Kennedy, known to friends as Andrea, had been picked up by police and formally charged with accessory to murder after the fact. Kennedy, 39, was also charged with obstructing a police investigation, and her 20-year-old daughter, Brianna, was charged with accessory.

Police allege the two tampered with and destroyed evidence at the scene of the homicide.

Thompson, 40, was shot and killed in the early morning hours of Sept. 24 at his Elmira Drive home.

His killer remains on the loose, and police have not provided an update into their search for a suspect.

But on Friday, police announced the first charges related to the homicide. And the allegation that Thompson’s girlfriend may have been involved in what his family is calling a “coverup” has left them confused and angry.

“We’re very angry with the situation,” said Thompson’s stepfather, Ron Burke, known to his fans as local musical legend Lucky Ron. “Especially with us supporting her right up until the point (the police) picked her up and arrested her.”

Burke said the family had numerous conversations with Kennedy over the past week, “whenever she wasn’t being interviewed by police or breaking down crying.”

The burning question: What happened that night that led someone to shoot Thompson to death?

“The only thing she said to us is nothing more than she said to the police — and she’s still not saying anything to the police — the only thing she said was, she heard a gunshot outside, went out the front door and he was lying on the grass,” said Burke. “She’s claiming to not know anything about it.”

Thompson’s family has a hard time believing that, especially in light of the criminal charges.

Burke believes neither the police nor Thompson’s family has been told the truth about what happened that night. “It’s covering up for the murder investigation and a coverup for his family members, which is us,” he said.

Police have also expressed frustration. Staff Sgt. Bruce Pirt said people in the Pinecrest community were not co-operating with police, and some potential witnesses were “actively avoiding” investigators.

Police have revealed little about the shooting, saying only that Thompson was found suffering from a gunshot wound at his Ottawa Community Housing unit at 2200B Elmira Dr. around 2 a.m. Saturday. He died later in hospital.

Residents of a neighbouring rowhouse, who declined to give their names, said they heard raised voices just before shots were fired.

Friends have acknowledged Thompson used drugs, though Burke said he was trying to get clean.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call police at 613236-1222, ext. 5493.