The tragedy of losing a child is the most painful burden any parent could ever imagine. All their hopes and dreams for the future can be washed away in a single moment. And when that child’s life is lost to an act of violence, their grief is only compounded by thoughts of the suffering their child was forced to endure.
Jeff Buziak bears the scars of nine long years of just such suffering. His 24-year-old daughter Lindsay was murdered Feb. 2, 2008 while showing a vacant home on De Souza Place in Gordon Head. Police have yet to apprehend a suspect in the killing. And that is just another pain that Buziak must bear.
“Obviously I’m angry, obviously someone took my child, and the way I feel is very dark right now,” Buziak said during last year’s Lindsay Buziak Memorial Walk for Justice.
“I feel like a prisoner, like I’m being hanged by this noose. Everyday I’m just hanging on.”
While the community may never completely grasp the pain that Buziak is dealing with, and our ability to comfort him only goes so far, we can show him that the community stands beside him and we echo his calls for justice.
That justice has been too long in coming. Buziak has been critical of Saanich Police, who have released precious little information on the case in recent years. The bright lights of Hollywood coaxed police to reveal a wealth of information to NBC’s Dateline back in 2010. But Hollywood has moved on to new stories, and local media apparently doesn’t hold the same sway.
The community might not be able to bring justice for Buziak, but we can help to ensure his voice is heard. The seventh annual Lindsay Buziak Memorial Walk for Justice will be held Thursday, starting at 10 a.m. at the gates of the Royal Oak Burial Park and concluding at Saanich Municipal Hall. Hopefully, it will be a step in bringing some solace to a family that has suffered long enough.