The family of a 15-year-old boy killed in an Abbotsford park is frustrated that a year after his death, no one has been held accountable. “No justice, no charges. It’s been one year, and it’s frustrating,” said Jeff Black, the father of Billy Ledoux. Billy was stabbed at Larch Park on May 25, 2025. At the time, police said two young people had been arrested, but were cleared of any wrongdoing and released into the care of their parents. No one has ever been charged in the crime. “Somebody knows something. Somebody’s not saying something,” said Billy’s sister, Kaitlin Bates. “I’m praying… that somebody that knows something is going to say something,” said Bates, adding that her brother’s death has taken a painful toll on the entire family. “I think it’s ruined everybody, honestly. I don’t think anybody’s the same,” she said. Billy was the second youngest of eight siblings in a large, blended family. His family knew something was wrong when Billy didn’t show up for a for dinner with them. Through an app on his phone, they located him at the park. But upon arriving, they found a crime scene and saw paramedics frantically working to save somebody. That somebody was Billy Ledoux. His dad said despite asking, it was hours before officials would tell the family that Billy was the victim. “We were only 30 yards away from our dying son, and it was not until midnight we found out,” recalled Black, who said that reality has left him with painful regrets, words he wishes he had been able to speak. “I would have said, ‘Hang in there, buddy. Don’t go. You got this.’ And I’m sure he could hear our voices,” said an emotional Black. “Imagine that, laying there, knowing that your family is 30 yards away.” Bates remembers a brother who was especially tight with his baby sister. “They were so close,” she said. Bates also said her brother was a loyal friend and fun to be around. “He was just funny. He was the life of the party. He had such a good group of kids around him,” she explained. She said her message to his friends now is: “Just be kind. Be kind for him.” The family is still struggling with understanding how Billy could have been killed and why no one has been held accountable. “It was a Sunday afternoon in a beautiful park, with children playing around. It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t add up,” she said. On Monday, several of Billy’s loved ones, brought balloons and flowers to the park where there is also a memorial bench for Billy. Bates said that while she understands how it can be difficult for some people to return to the park because of what happened, she looks at it differently. “I think I’ve shifted my mindset to, this is the last place he was breathing,” Bates explained. “It’s like his presence is here in a weird way.” Black said he visits the park regularly to think of his son and “to let him know that I’m around.” “This is your day Billy, and you’re not forgotten,” said Black.
