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'There is not anger, just sadness around this tragedy'

Aldergrove resident Shelly Janzen is believed to have been murdered by her brother Randy, who also killed his daughter and wife last week.
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Homicide investigators work inside an Aldergrove home on 271A Street on Friday where it is believed a woman's body was found the day prior. The woman

Lifetime Aldergrove resident Shelly Janzen, 53, was a beautiful, gentle soul who loved her family dearly, said those who knew her.

More than 100 members of her church, Bethel Mennonite on 56 Avenue in the North Otter area, gathered to grieve on Sunday. Shelly had been a member of the church since the day she was born.

“Shelly had a gentle spirit. She was a real giver to people and to animals,” said Linda Hoock, Bethel church assistant administrator.

Police descended on Janzen’s home, in the 2500 block of 271A Street, on Thursday afternoon, May 7.

Her brother Randy Janzen is now thought to be responsible for killing her sometime earlier last week.

He is accused of killing his family and confessing to the crimes in a chilling post on Facebook on Thursday, May 7.

In his Facebook post, he said he couldn’t watch his daughter Emily suffer any more debilitating migraine headaches so he shot her, his wife Laurel and then later his sister, so she wouldn’t have to suffer the shame of what he had done.

The Facebook post is what tipped police off.

A neighbour of Janzen’s in Aldergrove said she was a quiet woman who kept to herself. Another neighbour said she was very sweet.

Shelly was a “very reliable” newspaper carrier for the Langley Times and the Aldergrove Star for the past six months. It was a job she really enjoyed, said Hoock.

Several stacks of undelivered papers could be seen piled up at her home as police investigated the murder on Friday.

Shelly had never married. She cared for her mother, who lived with her. Her mother, Kathy, passed away last August.

Randy, her sister-in-law and her niece were everything to Shelly. They were all very close, said Hoock.

“Randy was very kind to her,” said Hoock.

Randy grew up in the church too but was no longer an active member.

“There is not anger, just sadness around this tragedy,” said Hoock.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team took over both the crime scene in Aldergrove and in Popkum, east of Chilliwack, on Thursday.

Just after 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, Langley RCMP received information obtained through social media that indicated a Rosedale man had harmed his family members.

As a result of this information, Langley RCMP attended the 271A Street home and located a deceased individual in the home, said IHIT in a press release.

Further information received through social media indicated there was a potential second location of concern in the Rosedale/Popkum area.

Upper Fraser Valley Regional RCMP attended with the assistance of the Emergency Response Team.

They attempted to make contact with a man believed to be inside the home.

Approximately four hours after police arrived on scene, gunfire could be heard and the residence caught fire and was quickly engulfed in flames.

It’s believed Randy killed himself.

“This investigation is extremely complex involving two crime scenes and potentially multiple victims,” IHIT said in a statement.

The B.C. Coroner Service will be investigating the triple murder-suicide, looking at the circumstances that led to Randy Janzen’s actions.

It is too early to know if a public inquest will be held or a coroner’s report.

If there is a benefit to the public and it would prevent similar deaths in the future, a public inquest with a jury will be held, said B.C. Coroners Service’s Barb McLintock.



Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
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