Mother of slain Stoney man, Kori Wesley, described her son as “kind and loving.”
“My son was funny, he had a good sense of humour. He was loving,” said Kori’s mother, Lori Wesley, 44.
“I keep expecting him to come through the door and say ‘hi, mom.’”
The Cochrane RCMP found Kori’s body at the Chiniki Rodeo grounds on Aug. 7. With help from the Southern Alberta RCMP Major Crimes, Calgary and Lethbridge Forensic Identification Sections, RCMP Police Dog, the K Division Interview Assistance Team and the Calgary Medical Examiner’s office, two men were charged in connection in Wesley’s death.
Tylen Tray Poucette, 20, from Morley was charged with second-degree murder on Aug. 10 and a 17-year-old youth also from the Nation, who cannot be identified due to age, was also arrested on Aug. 11.
The two appeared in Cochrane Provincial Court on Aug. 16. Poucette’s hearing was adjourned until Sept. 13. Details of the youth’s hearing were not available.
“I was just holding my breath, just waiting until they confirmed that it was Kori’s body.”
Lori said the police told the Wesley family that Kory was stabbed approximately 20 times.
The family is saddened by rumours and “misinformation” circulating the reservation about Kori’s death. Lori said those statements falsely suggest Kori was in a gang and that he was involved in a sexual assault.
“People say he was in a gang and his gang name was ‘Gus,’ that is not true,” Lori said.
“When Kori was a baby, he was a really chubby baby, like that little mouse from Cinderella, so we called him ‘Gus Gus’ and as he got older, he was embarrassed (by the nickname), so we just started calling him ‘Gus’ instead.”
Kori left behind his parents and two sisters, including Tasina Pope, 28, who called the whole situation “surreal.”
“It is weird and it doesn’t feel real yet. I have to keep reminding myself that he will not be coming home,” Pope said.
Pope described Kori as kind and brave, a person who spoke his mind
“Not a lot of people liked that, but he was not confrontational, he did not create problems, he just addressed problems,” she said.
Kori’s funeral was on Monday and his mother said that while she planned for a small gathering, she was surprised when the reservation church was full.
“I ordered 200 programs and thought I ordered too many,” Lori explained.
“But the church was packed, there were even people standing outside, and we ran out of programs, which I think says something about my son.”
The family said they are hopeful for justice.
“I miss my son,” Lori said.
“The little ones have been asking where Kori is and they keep saying they miss him,” Lori added, referring to Kori’s nephews.
The case is currently going through the Cochrane Provincial Court system.
