‘My life shattered’: Suspicious death in Grande Prairie now deemed homicide

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The last time Briana Sidoruk spoke with her best friend Echer Marcial, they were making plans for a visit and he was going to play Nerf guns with her young son.

That never got to happen.

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Human remains found March 14 in Clairmont, a hamlet in northern Alberta roughly 8 km north of Grande Prairie, were confirmed to be those of 34-year-old Marcial.

RCMP told Postmedia earlier this week that Marcial’s death has since been ruled a homicide.

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“He was an amazing person. He was outgoing, and he cared a lot for others. He always made sure he was looking out for the people he cared about,” said Sidoruk.

“He touched a lot of people’s lives. Echer’s loss has been devastating. For his entire family and friends… they’ve lost such an incredible man.”

New Brunswick to Alberta

Marcial was born and raised in St. John, NB, but moved to Grande Prairie, about 438 km north of Edmonton, in recent years, working as a welding inspector. He was also a thrill seeker, who liked to skydive and had a passion for music.

But recently, said Sidoruk, her friend had fallen on hard times and was looking for work again in the welding industry. Adversity, she said, never stopped him from looking out for his friends, however.

“Last time we spoke, he kept me on the phone for a while. He was worried about me, because I’ve been through a lot this last year. I’ve lost some real close people in my life,” said Sidoruk.

“I lost a good friend last year, and now my best friend this year. It sucks.

“I was over at a friend’s house and we were on a call with another friend on speaker, and the person on the phone asked me if I heard about Echer, I was like what?… he’s dead. At that moment, my life shattered. I broke down so badly.“

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Justice for Echer

Sidoruk is doing what she can to raise awareness about Marcial’s killing, launching “Justice for Echer” social media efforts on Facebook and Instagram.

“Echer doesn’t have a voice anymore. I’m going to be his voice. I always told him, ‘I got you’ Just because someone took his life away, doesn’t mean that’s changing. He was my best friend,” said Sidoruk.

RCMP have requested public help to gather more information about the case. A number of tips are rolling in, said RCMP spokesperson Const. Mathew Howell.

“We’re exploring multiple avenues with the investigation, and we’re getting lots of tips from the public; we’re investigating them as we go,” said Howell.

Homicides are rare in the County of Grande Prairie, especially Clairmont, which has a population of roughly 5,100.

“Anytime there is an unknown death, it creates some anxiety in the community,” said Bob Marshall, Grande Prairie County reeve.

“There have been deaths over the years, but they’re few and far between,” said Marshall. “We never want something like this to happen, and there is definitely a cause for concern.”

Sidoruk hopes anyone with information about the case will come forward so there can be closure.

“I’m really hoping they will figure it out, and anyone who may know what happened to Echer will come forward,” said Sidoruk.

“Echer didn’t deserve to get his life taken from him. It wasn’t his time.”

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