For 9 years, Kevin Joss has held his son’s reminiscence near his coronary heart.
He remembers his son, Cody, as a social, fun-loving younger man, who beloved getting along with family and friends, watching wrestling, cheering on the Winnipeg Jets, and listening to heavy steel music.
“At all times in a cheery temper. Was identified for his smile, all the time smiling,” his father Kevin Joss mentioned from the lounge of his residence close to Headingley, Man.
“He obtained together with nearly everyone. Simply an easy-going, easy man.”
These reminiscences are sadly all Kevin has left. Cody’s life was tragically minimize brief on Dec. 19, 2014, when he was struck by a car whereas crossing the road at Inkster Boulevard and McGregor Road. The driving force didn’t cease on the scene. No arrests have ever been made.
The evening remains to be a blur for Kevin.
“Numerous it’s nonetheless a fog. When it’s been this lengthy, you have a tendency to carry onto the higher reminiscences of all of it,” Kevin mentioned.
“However our job is to maintain it out within the public.”
Kevin mentioned he was at work that evening, when he obtained a name that may endlessly change his life.
“I used to be mainly whisked away to the hospital, and I obtained extra particulars that he was struck and left beside (the highway) and that it was a success and run,” Kevin mentioned.
“And now we’ve been residing that for 9 years. A success and run. Any person simply left him in conjunction with the highway.”
For the previous 9 years, Kevin has attended Winnipeg police press conferences and annual vigils, placing out the plea for any data that may very well be the lacking piece in Cody’s case.
However not having any justice or closure is one thing that solely magnifies the ache of shedding Cody in such a tragic approach, Kevin says. He additionally says he’s discovered some consolation and assist by the Manitoba Group for Sufferer Help, also called MOVA.
“Figuring out different folks and listening to different tales (in) periods if you get collectively and speak might be fairly emotional, fairly traumatic, however having that assist system there, it’s essential.” Kevin mentioned.
MOVA president Karen Wiebe, who misplaced her personal son in a 2003 murder, says unsolved instances carry an elevated degree of trauma to households and family members of victims of crime.
“In Cody’s case, horrendous, horrendous that an adolescent’s life was taken and no one will converse up about it. No person will give any clues or any hints,” Wiebe advised World Information.
“I believe that the police most likely know who did it. I believe there are a variety of people that know who did it. However with out the proof, they’ll’t transfer ahead. And if no one comes ahead, Cody’s household then lives in limbo.”
She says whereas an arrest doubtless gained’t carry the household any closure, it would permit them to maneuver ahead.
“It’s been so a few years and so they’re nonetheless in limbo and so they’re ready for any person to have the braveness to step ahead and say ‘that is what occurred, I do know what occurred’ and at the least permit them to show a web page of their guide,” she mentioned. “There’s definitely not going to be any closure, however permit the Joss’ to show a web page and say, ‘OK, that is what’s occurred, now I can transfer onto the subsequent step’.”
“If you don’t know who stole probably the most valuable factor on the earth from you — and gained’t give it again, can’t give it again — there can’t be something extra devastating than that,” Wiebe added.
Winnipeg police final held a press convention on Cody Joss’ case in December 2022. Since then, officers say there have been no new investigational avenues to pursue.
Kevin mentioned although occasions goes by, he’ll preserve sharing his son’s story to make sure Cody’s story by no means fades out of reminiscence.
“In my eyes, any person wrote Cody off…. They wrote him off, proper off the start. Increase. Off to the aspect of the highway. I’m going to flee like a coward,” Kevin mentioned by tears.
“My son was right here…. We had been gifted to have his presence for 21 years, and he shouldn’t be written off like that. His story has a proper to be advised proper to the top.”
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