‘We’re not giving up’: mother continues search for answers in son’s death

Police investigate homicide of Conestoga student Waterloo police are continuing to investigate the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Joshua Bennett. CTV’s Colton Wiens reports.

The mother of Joshua Bennett, an 18-year-old Etobicoke man found dead in Kitchener last year, is not giving up her search for answers, as she returned to the community on Saturday in hopes of gaining more information about what happened to her son.

Felisha Bennett canvassed along numerous homes on Paulander Drive in Kitchener on Saturday, near where her son’s body was found.

According to Bennett, her son’s body was found in a patch of grass within a townhouse complex, right beside a trail. The area is now a garden, but Bennett believes someone nearby might have seen something.

“I’m just asking people to speak up if you know something,” she said. “I think after today, seeing that we’re not giving up, that somebody's heart will move in compassion.”

Waterloo regional police say they are continuing to investigate the fatal stabbing.

"The tragic and senseless death of Joshua Bennett continues to have a great impact on the community," John Goodman, acting chief of police said in a media release. "If you know something, no matter how small that information may be, please come forward so our investigators can locate, arrest, and charge those responsible."

On Sept. 24, 2021, at approximately 4:30 a.m., officers responded to the area of Paulander Drive in Kitchener after receiving a report of an injured male. Police say upon arrival, they located a deceased man near a trail in the area.

A post-mortem examination revealed that the cause of death resulted from multiple stab wounds.

“When will people care? When it's your child? But I don't want anybody to go through what I’m going through,” Felisha Bennett said.

The teen was in his final year of the Carpentry and Renovation Technician Program at Conestoga College when he died.

Joshua leaves behind eight siblings and many friends, who remember him as a loving person that was always willing to help.

“Anyone who knows him knows that he loves his family, especially the girls in his family, he holds them close to his heart, and you guys took him away from us,” said Danequa Blackwood, Joshua’s girlfriend.

“We shouldn't have to stand alone. We should have people following and walking behind us, trying to help us get justice for him. He deserves justice. And we're not going to stop until he gets the justice he deserves,” Blackwood said.

“We believe there are people who have information that would help with the investigation, and we are asking them to come forward with that information. We want them to ask themselves how they would feel if this was their son or loved one.” Cherri Green, a spokesperson for the Waterloo Regional Police Service said in an email. “It’s essential to get this information so we can help bring some type of closure to Joshua’s family and the entire community.”

Investigators with Waterloo Regional Police Service’s Major Crime Unit believe that several individuals in the community have information that could help solve the homicide.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Major Crime Unit tip-line by calling 519-570-9777 ext. 8191.