Family pleads for return of stolen memorial bench for murdered parents

Memorial bench in honour of a Huron County couple murdered in 2018, was stolen from local park. CTV London’s Scott Miller reports.

Gail Fischer noticed something amiss with her parents’ memorial bench last week, when she drove by the park it usually sat in, and saw that it was missing.

“I didn’t want to believe it, right? Initially I thought that it was just taken to be fixed or something, and then when I had called to find out, I found out that it was stolen, and I was just shocked,” said Fischer.

Fischer’s parents, Doug and Marian Fischer, were murdered on March 29, 2018, inside their Wingham area home. Gail’s ex-partner, Kevin Carter, pleaded guilty to killing them, and was sentenced to life in prison on Jan. 9, 2019.

The Fischer family marked the five-year anniversary of their parents’ deaths with a memorial bench in the family’s favourite park, between Wingham and Bluevale.

“We wanted it to come to this park because I have fond memories coming here as a child. We’d go in to get takeout and come eat at the park before we went home, and it was just a spot that we enjoyed,” said Fischer.

Fischer said she noticed the bench missing about a week ago. She said another metal bench in the park has also gone missing. Police have been notified. The Fischer family is hoping that the bench can still be found or even returned, because this wasn’t just scrap metal to them, it was a sacred place they’d regularly come to remember their parents.

“It was just something a little positive that was there for us, after everything that had happened,” said Fischer.

Fischer said she used to visit the bench and posthumously talk to her parents about once a month. She holds out hope she’ll get to sit with them again.

“If you still have it, bring it back. We would just like to have it again for people to sit on,” said Fischer.

Any person with information regarding this incident or any other incident can contact the Huron OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or [phone].

Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a web tip at “P3tips.com” where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.