Wife says homicide victim found in east London park was 'a strong family man'
CBC
The family of a homicide victim whose body was found at an east London park on Friday is grieving his loss as police laid charges against two people in connection with his death.
On Sunday, London police accused Broady Daniel Dax Salmon, 29, of second degree murder and Ashley A. Taylor, 30, of manslaughter. Both of the accused are from London.
Police haven't revealed the victim's identity but CBC London spoke to the man's family who identified him as Matthew Harp, 39, who grew up in London and was from the Oneida Nation of the Thames.
His wife, Lisa Bressette, said she learned of the charges from CBC News on Sunday after police issued a public statement.
Heartbroken, Bressette said she is remembering her husband as "a perfect gentleman who, despite a tough exterior, was a strong family man."
"He was so proud of the children that he helped me raise," she said. "All the kids enjoyed his company because he was so silly and they'd get into arguments over who loved him more."
London police said they were called to Mildred Barons Park, near Clarke Road and Dundas Street, around 6 p.m. on Friday for a welfare check. When they arrived, they found Harp's body and deemed his death suspicious.
Police vehicles and forensic investigators were still at the scene Sunday afternoon and blocked off a wooded area behind the park as they continued investigating. Neighbours told CBC London that the area was a homeless encampment.
Bressette confirmed that Harp didn't live in the encampment but he had friends who did.
"Matthew was a good person, he struggled with addictions but his heart was always in the right place when it came to his family," said Bresette's nephew Troy Wolfe, who was very close to Harp. "He had a heart that he wore on his sleeve and there was nothing he wouldn't do for his family."
Wolfe said he and Harp would often go fishing together when they were kids. He wants Harp to be remembered for his laugh and his "crazy sense of humour," he said.
"Matthew always had these one-liners and he was a very funny guy who was a ball of energy. As long as we were with each other, we always found a way to smile no matter what the situation."
Bressette said Harp was very proud of his Indigenous identity and loved riding all kinds of bikes and motorcycles during his free time. He leaves behind his 20-year-old daughter Breaze, his parents and siblings, including a twin brother.
"He would help anybody and he's got so many friends in this city that it's unbelievable," she said.
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