'Life is never, ever going to be the same for this family again': Brother, friend remember 2 killed in Calgary
Ania Kaminski, her father Stanislaw Wardzala believed to have been killed by her spouse
Warning: This story contains details of intimate partner violence and may affect those who've experienced or been impacted by it.
Ania Kaminski and her father Stanislaw Wardzala are being remembered as an amazing mother and grandfather of three young children after they were killed in a double homicide over the weekend.
It's believed the two were killed by Ania's spouse, 38-year-old Benedict Kaminski, in an attack that police called targeted and domestic in nature.
Police said a woman in her 30s and a man in his 70s, the woman's father, were found dead Sunday at two separate locations in Calgary, sparking a manhunt for Benedict.
Late on Monday, police found his body near his vehicle parked in a rural area 80 kilometres northwest of Calgary.
Autopsies for both victims are to take place Friday.
Peter Wardzala, Ania's younger brother, says he believes the killing of his sister and father may have stemmed from an argument between Ania and Benedict that happened on Christmas Day during dinner.
"There was something off about him … like the way that my sister is cutting pickles and stuff, three times in under a minute he's arguing about it with her, and we're all saying, 'What's wrong?'" Peter said.
He added Benedict became so aggravated during dinner that things almost came to blows between him and his brother-in-law.
Peter says Ania told him she planned to leave her spouse after the Christmas dinner dispute. Days later, on Dec. 29, she and their father were killed in separate homicides.
"I honestly never thought that this guy was capable of doing something this horrific," Peter said.
"It completely, completely broke me down. I know my mom was broken, and I knew right from then on that life is never, ever going to be the same for this family again."
'She touched everyone's heart'
Ania is survived by three young children — a six-year-old son, a four-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son.
"She would do anything for these three children of hers, absolutely anything," Peter said.
He says his older sister was an amazing mother to her children, a loving daughter to her parents and a caring sister to him.
"If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be who I am today, because she's helped me so much out in life, and she touched everyone's heart," Peter said.
He added he and Ania were very close and they would talk every day. Ania was 33, 18 months older than Peter, and they would often pick up the phone just to chat with each other, or have video calls for Peter to see his niece and nephews.
Peter said his sister was also gracious to their parents, and would often help them around the house and generally take care of them.
Diana Wysocki, a close friend of Ania's, described her as a kind, warm person.
"She would pretty much drop anything and do anything for anybody," Wysocki said. "She literally lit up a room when she walked in."
Wysocki says Ania had a contagious laugh and was very close with her family.
"Her whole family was very tight-knit. It just breaks my heart that this happened to such a loving family."
Wysocki added she had known Ania for more than two decades. They shared many childhood memories together and would often spend days together at each other's homes.
"Our families have always been really close, and her and her dad had a very loving, funny relationship."
'One of the strongest men I knew'
Peter says his father, Stanislaw, was the rock of their family — a loving husband, a staunch figure in the community and a mentor to many.
"My dad was my best friend," Peter said. "I talked with him every single day, too … whether it would be [a] two second-call, or me calling him and saying 'Hey, dad, the Flames game is on,' because he loved watching them."
Peter called Stanislaw a family man through and through.
Along with his wife, he was a Polish immigrant who came to Canada in the 1980s. They made a life together for their family in Calgary.
"They came here to this country so that they could start a new life and just have a good life for their children."
Stanislaw was always excited to see his grandkids and shared a particular bond with Peter.
"We'd hunt every year together, [go] camping every year together."
Stanislaw developed disabilities as he got older and could no longer drive himself places. Peter says he had planned on taking his father on vacations to see the world together.
"I just wanted to do everything for my dad, you know?" Peter said.
"He touched the lives of so many people, too. So many of my friends, they always loved him. He made them laugh all the time. Even sometimes if he pissed me off, they'd be like, 'Your dad is the funniest guy in the world.'"
Many in the community looked up to Stanislaw, Peter said, including some of Peter's older cousins.
Stanislaw was a "second father" to many of the younger people he worked with, Peter said.
"He was an amazing man all around. One of the strongest men I knew. Still to this day, at his age, with all the problems he had, still the strongest man in the world."
'It's overwhelming, the amount of support'
Peter says he and his loved ones have been inundated with love and support since the shocking deaths of his sister and father.
"I always knew Calgary was an amazing city, but after this kind of tragedy, bless everyone's heart — from the entire city of Calgary to the entire Polish community, to our family and friends, to people who I have not seen in years or people I don't even know," Peter said.
"It's overwhelming, the amount of support."
A GoFundMe page started by Wysocki has raised more than $195,000 as of Wednesday afternoon to support Ania's three children. About 1,800 donations have been made to the fund.
Peter says he and his mother intend to adopt Ania's children.
For anyone affected by family or intimate partner violence, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services such as 211 Alberta or the Connect Line. If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.
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With files from The Canadian Press