‘Extra kick in the gut’: Plaque memorializing Brentwood 5 victims stolen from Calgary park

A bronze memorial plaque honouring the lives of five young Calgarians who were stabbed in this city's worst mass killing has been stolen.

Calgary police are investigating the theft of a plaque from the Quineterra Legacy Garden, a park created to honour five students who lost their lives at a house party in 2014.

Kaitlin Perras, 23, Josh Hunter, 23, Jordan Segura, 22, Lawrence Hong, 27, and Zackariah Rathwell, 21, were killed in the early morning hours of April 15.

Five years after the tragedy, the victims’ families came together to build a garden that honours their memories.

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The memorial site, located in South Glenmore Park, was completed in 2020, and has been the site of live music and outdoor performances since then.

Now, a plaque from the park is missing.

Gregg Perras, Kaitlin’s father, says he made the discovery while visiting the park on Thursday, which would have been his daughter’s 35th birthday.

“It was calming and tranquil, and then I decided to go for a walk,” he said. “I walked by and I couldn’t believe it. The memorial plaque that we had spent a lot of time with our architects designing was gone.”

“I was in shock,” he added. “It’s just an extra kick in the gut.”

Perras says he left to go call Josh Hunter’s father to tell him about the theft.

“Just bring it back,” Perras said. “Put it by the rock and we’ll reattach it.”

“If we have to, we’ll have it replaced, but it’s an expensive item.”

‘The right decision is to turn it in’

Acting Duty Insp. Shelby Stewart says the theft is upsetting to the community as a whole.

“Any time we see something like this that obviously holds a lot of sentimental value to not only the families but the city as a whole – and to the [Calgary Police Service] – it’s just incredibly disappointing that someone would take this.”

Stewart says an increase in the value of metals used to make plaques, like copper, is to blame for ongoing thefts of the items.

“[Metal recyclers] won’t take plaques – they’re very clear on that, that they’re not going to take something like this and recycle it – but it is the value that’s driving up the thefts.”

Stewart says in the past, plaques with sentimental value – like war memorial plaques – have turned back up once thieves realize they can’t take it to a metal recycler to sell.

“I’m hopeful that whoever took the plaque will realize that the right decision is to turn it in. Whether they want to turn it in at a police station or leave it somewhere that we can find it, we’d be happy with any outcome that sees it come back.”

Police have canvassed the area looking for tips or CCTV footage.

“Obviously this is an isolated area, which makes it difficult, but there are a lot of businesses in the area along the road that sometimes will capture vehicles going in and out of the intersection, so all of that will be reviewed.”

Anyone with information about the theft can call police at 403-266-1234.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers.