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The mother of four allegedly killed by her son in their Sandy Hill apartment building was a “beautiful woman” and “extraordinary person,” according to those who worked closely with her.
Rachelle Mair’s lifeless body was found inside apartment 1010 at the Sandringham apartment building at 85 Range Rd. on Friday after police responded to a report of a disturbance on the 10th floor around 5:30 a.m. She had been beaten to death with a baseball bat in what police believe is a case of matricide.
Her son Steven Mair, 29, has been charged with second-degree murder.
Rachelle Mair had volunteered at the Catholic Centre for Immigrants on Argyle Avenue in Centretown on Thursday, the day before her death.
She had retired from working at the centre three years ago but continued to volunteer to help newcomers adjust to life in Canada and make connections to their communities.
“Rachelle Mair was a beautiful woman,” colleague Maria Teresa Garcia told the Citizen.
“(She was) an extraordinary person with a great sense of community and a happy and generous spirit.”
Yodit Girmay had worked with Rachelle for nearly nine years at the centre and developed a close friendship with her during that time. Girmay’s son even called Rachelle “grandma.”
Rachelle came from a loving French-Canadian family, Girmay said. She loved to cook and would host a big Christmas dinner every year. She was open, always helpful and loyal, her friend said. As a volunteer, Rachelle would come early and leave late. She even paid out of her own pocket to have her clients at the centre take piano lessons.
Before her death, Rachelle was telling colleagues about her upcoming trip to visit her twin granddaughters in California.
“She’s the sweetest mother I know in this world,” Girmay said. Rachelle had a certain kind of calm patience that she tried to help Girmay develop as a mother.
Girmay was “beyond shocked” to learn that Rachelle’s own son was charged with her killing. Rachelle had never expressed any concern or fear about her son, Girmay said.
Neighbours told the Citizen they heard shouting coming from the apartment that Rachelle shared with her only son, Steven, early Friday morning.
When police officers responded to the disturbance call, they found Steven Mair naked in the hallway, covered in blood and behaving erratically. He allegedly confessed to killing his mother at the scene and then led police to her body inside their apartment. He was arrested immediately.
Steven Mair has no criminal record and was not known to police prior to Rachelle’s death.
Rachelle Mair has three daughters, all of whom live outside of Ottawa. Steven’s father and Rachelle’s former husband, Gordon Mair, remains in Ottawa but declined to speak to the Citizen about Friday’s events that left the mother of his children dead and his son in jail on a murder charge.
Criminal defence lawyer Jenny McKnight said Friday at Steven Mair’s first court appearance that she will be exploring what role mental health may have played in the alleged crime.
Rachelle Mair’s killing was the city’s 11th homicide of the year.
Steven Mair is next scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 28.
syogaretnam@postmedia.com
twitter.com/shaaminiwhy
查看原文...
Rachelle Mair’s lifeless body was found inside apartment 1010 at the Sandringham apartment building at 85 Range Rd. on Friday after police responded to a report of a disturbance on the 10th floor around 5:30 a.m. She had been beaten to death with a baseball bat in what police believe is a case of matricide.
Her son Steven Mair, 29, has been charged with second-degree murder.
Rachelle Mair had volunteered at the Catholic Centre for Immigrants on Argyle Avenue in Centretown on Thursday, the day before her death.
She had retired from working at the centre three years ago but continued to volunteer to help newcomers adjust to life in Canada and make connections to their communities.
“Rachelle Mair was a beautiful woman,” colleague Maria Teresa Garcia told the Citizen.
“(She was) an extraordinary person with a great sense of community and a happy and generous spirit.”
Yodit Girmay had worked with Rachelle for nearly nine years at the centre and developed a close friendship with her during that time. Girmay’s son even called Rachelle “grandma.”
Rachelle came from a loving French-Canadian family, Girmay said. She loved to cook and would host a big Christmas dinner every year. She was open, always helpful and loyal, her friend said. As a volunteer, Rachelle would come early and leave late. She even paid out of her own pocket to have her clients at the centre take piano lessons.
Before her death, Rachelle was telling colleagues about her upcoming trip to visit her twin granddaughters in California.
“She’s the sweetest mother I know in this world,” Girmay said. Rachelle had a certain kind of calm patience that she tried to help Girmay develop as a mother.
Girmay was “beyond shocked” to learn that Rachelle’s own son was charged with her killing. Rachelle had never expressed any concern or fear about her son, Girmay said.
Neighbours told the Citizen they heard shouting coming from the apartment that Rachelle shared with her only son, Steven, early Friday morning.
When police officers responded to the disturbance call, they found Steven Mair naked in the hallway, covered in blood and behaving erratically. He allegedly confessed to killing his mother at the scene and then led police to her body inside their apartment. He was arrested immediately.
Steven Mair has no criminal record and was not known to police prior to Rachelle’s death.
Rachelle Mair has three daughters, all of whom live outside of Ottawa. Steven’s father and Rachelle’s former husband, Gordon Mair, remains in Ottawa but declined to speak to the Citizen about Friday’s events that left the mother of his children dead and his son in jail on a murder charge.
Criminal defence lawyer Jenny McKnight said Friday at Steven Mair’s first court appearance that she will be exploring what role mental health may have played in the alleged crime.
Rachelle Mair’s killing was the city’s 11th homicide of the year.
Steven Mair is next scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 28.
syogaretnam@postmedia.com
twitter.com/shaaminiwhy
查看原文...
