Families and friends of 14 people whose lives were lost to violent crime gathered outside the B.C. RCMP headquarters on Feb. 22 with the goal of shedding light on their stories.
This ‘Fight for Justice and Change’ campaign began with Christine Angelis, a Surrey mom who lost her daughter and her daughter’s fiancé nearly three years ago.
Keisha Garie, 24, and her fiancé Umair Kasim, 30, were discovered inside a vehicle in the 900-block of Alpha Avenue, near Burnaby’s École Alpha Secondary School, on Oct. 17, 2022.
The Coquitlam residents were reported missing several days before they were located in Burnaby.
No one has been held accountable for the killings, Angelis says. She wants justice for her daughter and her daughter’s fiancé – and she has learned she is not the only one.
Learning about other families’ stories is what led Angelis to her first protest against B.C.’s justice system.
That protest, held on Sept. 29, 2025 outside Surrey provincial court, included Angelis’ family and three others.
Angelis hosted another rally on Feb. 22 outside the B.C. RCMP offices (14200 Green Timbers Way), where the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) offices are.
“We need to get this out here, get it in the system,” she told Peace Arch News.
Angelis said these rallies are not just for Keisha’s friends and family but for anyone who has felt “screwed over by the justice system” and lost loved ones to violent crimes.
Angelis spread the word of the protest on social media with the help of the Goodrick family, who lost their son and brother, Devon Goodrick. Goodrick is a Langley man who went missing in September of 2021; IHIT took over the case in October of that year.
Angelis said the protest was organized for her daughter and all the other victims whose deaths have not yet led to a resolution in the criminal justice system.
For many families, she said, one of the hardest parts has been a lack of communication over the years since their loved ones’ deaths; one family, she says, has been waiting for 11 years without news on who killed their son.
“We seek answers, accountability, and much-need reform,” she said in a Facebook post. “We hope to raise our voices and push for the necessary changes to this broken system that simply isn’t working. Let’s unite and make a significant impact!”
Nikki Goodrick, Devon Goodrick’s sister, shared the information on the Justice For Devon Goodrick Facebook page.
“Families are left in the dark while violent offenders are allowed to reoffend,” her post says. “This broken system is not working, and it’s time for a change.”
Thirteen families came together at the Feb. 22 rally, holding a series of posters and signs and joining in a chorus of chants.
Angelis said that these protests will continue until changes are made to B.C.’s justice system, which she characterizes as “catch and release.”
She hopes their efforts will eventually bring justice for her daughter and the other families who’ve lost loved ones.
Anyone with information about the deaths of Garie and Kasim, or any of the other unsolved cases, is urged to contact the IHIT information line 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
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