A new bond grows from the deaths of Vince Dillon, Juliane Hibbs

A horrific double-murder suicide in Conception Bay South two years ago left a gaping hole in the lives of those close to victims Vince Dillon and Juliane Hibbs, but a new bond has formed out of their grief.

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Vince's older sister, Paula, and Juliane's parents, Phil and Debbie Hibbs, share more than the grief of losing a loved one under some very painful and disturbing circumstances.

They have formed a lasting friendship.

"I can't see how we can ever turn away from her," Phil Hibbs told CBC News during a recent interview.

"She's going to, in some way, be a part of what we do forever."

Paula has a learning disability and is capable of living independently, but her brother and Juliane — Vince's fiancée — were the bedrock in her life.

During an interview at her house, Paula recalled how her brother supported and cared for her, and how her relationship with Juliane flourished during the couples' two-year relationship.

"He would help anyone. He was a good gentle person that anyone would want to know," Paula said of her younger brother.

As for Juliane, Paula described her as an angel.

"I looked at her like a sister," Paula added.

'Completely comfortable with one another'

Whenever Juliane and Vince discussed their future as a couple, they always included Paula in that conversation, said Phil Hibbs.

After their engagement, Vince talked about selling their home and buying a smaller property for the three of them.

"Juliane found a friend," Phil Hibbs said of the relationship between his daughter and Paula.

"They were just completely comfortable with one another."

Filling the emptiness

But for Paula, that foundation crumbled on Oct. 15, 2013 when Brian Dawe, Juliane's ex-boyfriend, gunned down Juliane and Vince at the Villa Nova Plaza.

Dawe shot Juliane inside the medical clinic, shortly before he killed Vince in the parking lot.

Dawe then drove to a cemetery in Mount Pearl and killed himself.

The shooting sent shockwaves throughout the province and helped shine a bright light on the issue of abusive relationships.

Grief turns to anger

Paula was playing darts on the evening of the shooting, but it wasn't until she got home later than night that she sensed something wasn't right.

Vince and Juliane were not home.

A few hours later, she was woken from her sleep. There were police officers at the door, and she soon learned that Vince and Juliane had been killed.

"My mind was … oh God, I got no one," she recalled.

Her fears quickly turned to anger. She wishes Dawe had taken his own life, and left Vince and Juliane to live theirs.

Paula spoke to a grief counsellor following the tragedy, but said it didn't fully address the emptiness she was feeling.

Ironically, she found solace in the two people who were enduring the same grief and loss, Juliane's parents.

"She just came from a family situation to being alone, so in that sense she turned to Debbie and myself a little closer," Phil Hibbs said.

Debbie Hibbs added: "We were there for each other … to help her as best we could, which was hard for us also because we were going through such a horrible situation because of the murder of Juliane."

Life continues to be a struggle

Phil and Debbie Hibbs say each day continues to be a struggle, with Phil comparing it to life in a mud-filled, inescapable trench on a battlefield.

Debbie Hibbs says the murder of her daughter is something she'll never recover from.

But like Vince and Juliane, Phil and Debbie Hibbs now regard Paula as a meaningful part of their future.

They regularly share meals at the Hibbs' household.

"It feels like I'm part of them now … because they were almost family," said Paula.

Living alone not easy

Paula has continued to live in the home since the killings, and it's been hard financially and emotionally.

But she's not alone. She enjoys the companionship of her two cats and two dogs, including Hayley — Vince and Juliane's dog.

Hayley was in the vehicle the day of the shooting, and went missing for several days. She finally turned up on the day of Juliane's funeral.

"Every time I looks at Hayley, she helps me get through," said Paula.

She has decided to sell the property and move into a smaller place.

Her smaller surroundings means there are many things she'll have to part with. But she'll never abandon her memories, and the belief that Vince and Juliane would want her to carry on.

"I'm doing very good. I'm strong about it," she said.​