Friends of a Newmarket man allegedly slain by his ex-girlfriend are stunned and heartbroken over the tragedy that follows the death of his sister.
York Regional Police say Blake Bibby, 36, was fatally stabbed at his Newmarket apartment unit on Sunday.
According to cops, officers were called to the apartment in the Main St. and Millard Ave. area around 10:30 p.m. for reports of an injured male. Bibby was rushed to hospital, where he died.
Homicide detectives said in a release that McKenzie Gill, 30, of Toronto, was arrested Tuesday and charged with second-degree murder. Cops would only say the pair were known to each other.
However, on a GoFundMe page raising funds for his family, organizer Kelly George described the accused as Bibby’s “estranged ex-girlfriend.”
“Blake was a loving son, brother, uncle and friend who brought joy and kindness to everyone he met, their hearts are broken, and they will never be the same without him,” wrote George, who described Bibby’s mother Fern Bibby as a longtime friend.
According to George, the family has suffered “two devastating losses in a short period” as his sister Laura died “during the height of the pandemic.”
“I hope you and LauraLee are together again. I pray for my family during this difficult time,” a cousin wrote on Facebook, adding, “I hope justice is served!! Domestic violence goes both ways.”
One contributor to the fundraiser wrote of Blake Bibby: “I hope you’re in a better place … I’ll never forget our memories with the boys, the bike at coffee time, the ridiculous infectious laugh you had. I’ll never forget it or you. Rest easy my friend until we meet again.”
Investigators are appealing to any witnesses who have not yet spoken with police, and to anyone who may have security video from the area, to contact the York Regional Police Homicide Unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7865.
@HunterTOSun