'Good-hearted people': Friend remembers father and son slain on Vancouver Island
The victims of a double homicide on Vancouver Island are being remembered as a loving and goofy father and son duo.
Tom Johnson and son, Brad Johnson, were found deceased in their home in Crofton, B.C. in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Justin James Dodd, 33, was arrested at the scene and has since been charged with two counts of second-degree murder.
A friend of the Johnsons, Terese Shearer, says Dodd was a friend of Brad's from high school, and that the Johnsons were helping him through a rough stretch in his life, though she admits she is uncertain on all the details.
She says the Johnsons had taken in Dodd for a couple of nights "just to help him get back on his feet."
"It's crazy to me that this guy came and got help from these two, and this is what they get," she told CTV News on Tuesday.
But, Shearer says she wants the community's focus to stay on the victims.
"They were such good-hearted people," said Shearer. "They would do anything for anybody, honestly."
Brad Johnson (left) and Tom Johnson (right) are pictured: (Terese Shearer)
She says the father and son were "two peas in a pod" who spent lots of time together and acted like best friends.
"Brad was just like a teddy bear, he was a sweet soul. I can say that for Tom as well," she said.
Shearer says she's best friends with Brad's sister and Tom's daughter, Chelsea, and that she's grown up with the family for more than a decade.
"Blood never means family to me, and they always felt like family to me," she said. "It's so heartbreaking."
On Monday, North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP said they were in the early stages of their investigation. Officers from Nanaimo RCMP's forensic identification section are also assisting with the investigation, Mounties say.
Dodd's next court appearance is slated for Nov. 2. None of the allegations against him have been tested in court.
"I want people to know about how good-hearted, how loving, and how kind Brad Johnson and Tom Johnson are," said Shearer.
"They had such hearts of gold and they were just the goofiest and funniest and most loveable people you could come across," she said. "And they're going to be missed every single day."
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help members of the Johnson family.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
'Secret report' or standard research? B.C. government addresses safe supply allegations
B.C.’s premier and one of his top lieutenants are pushing back against allegations by the Official Opposition that he covertly commissioned a report into the diversion of safe supply drugs onto the streets.
Video shows suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
She was too sick for a traditional transplant. So she received a pig kidney and a heart pump
Doctors have transplanted a pig kidney into a New Jersey woman who was near death, part of a dramatic pair of surgeries that also stabilized her failing heart.
What Canadians think of the latest Liberal budget
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.