Hundreds attend vigil for toddler found dead behind Edmonton church
Hundreds of people gathered at Good Shepherd Anglican Church on Tuesday to remember the life of a little boy whose body was abandoned there last week.
The body of Anthony Raine, 19 months, was found covered with a blanket near the back of the north Edmonton church on Friday. On Tuesday night, a crowd formed around a memorial of flowers, toys, candles and notes to the toddler for a ceremony to honour him.
"It actually feels good to see a lot of people supporting baby Anthony," said Andrea Crier, Anthony's paternal aunt.
Police have charged Anthony's father, Joseph Crier, 26, and his father's girlfriend, Tasha-Lee Mack, 25, with second-degree murder.
"It's hard for our family on both sides. Both sides of the family are both hurting over this," said Princess Crier, also Anthony's paternal aunt. "There's no words to explain what has happened. It's amazing how there's a lot of people out there who care."
Church planned vigil
Neil Gordon, dean of the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton, said Anthony's death had a devastating impact on the community. That's why the church organized Tuesday's vigil.
"This was something that was an obvious need, to have something," Gordon said. "This is one of the things churches can offer to the community. It's a place that you can gather."
Rev. Jon Connell spoke briefly to those quietly assembled inside the church, where candles were lit for Anthony.
A toddler is supposed to have more opportunity "to find out what it's like to eat too much candy or pig out on too much pizza, to have his first day of school, his first sleep over, his first scraped knee, his first kiss," Connell said. "What about him? That poor little child."
'Where's the accountability?'
Anthony died from head trauma. Police believe the toddler's body, which was covered in bruises, was left at the church for three days before he was discovered.
Crier and Mack are facing additional charges of criminal negligence causing death, failure to provide the necessaries of life and assault. Crier is also charged with assault causing bodily harm.
Arlene Ducharme lingered near the back of the group surrounding the memorial outside the church.
"We should all take a serious look at how this tragedy has affected us ... We as a society should be ashamed that we allow this stuff to continue and continue and continue," she said, her eyes becoming teary. "Where's the accountability? Who was the protector of this child?"
Robert Saunders said it was hard to contemplate what the child must have gone through.
"This poor little guy who hardly even had a chance," Saunders said. "I would think the message that he's going to get in heaven is God must have needed another angel."
