'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
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.