Still no arrests 4 years after the brutal killing of Janice Shore

February 18 will mark exactly four years since Janice Shore, 45, died from a vicious attack on Surrey's notorious 135A Street strip.

Shore was found in a vacant lot near 106 Avenue on December 2, 2012, beaten so badly her friends didn't recognize her face.

She died from her injuries two and a half months later in the hospital.

No charges have been laid in the case.

MaryAnne Connor with Nightshift Ministries knew Janice and her brother, Ed.

She says Janice was a tiny, timid woman with a squeaky voice and Ed was her protector.

"Her favourite song was You Are My Sunshine,so he called her Sunshine," Connor said.

"He was very protective of Janice and after she passed away, he sat outside our building day in and day out to try and find a piece of information that would help the RCMP with their investigation."

The rumours

There are many people on the strip who have theories about who is responsible for Shore's death and why she was killed so viciously but police have confirmed few details.

Investigators haven't discussed a potential motive or said whether Shore was sexually assaulted.

At a news conference after Shore's death in 2013, Surrey RCMP Cpl. Bert Paquet said many of the whispers from the street about the case weren't true.

"There are certain events regarding this case that have been widely reported in various forms that have not been borne out in investigations, including reports that the victim was homeless and found chained to a tree," he said.

"This information is not accurate."

Connor says she is certain there are people out there who know what happened to Shore but doesn't know if they'll ever come forward.

"There is a lot of fear on the street," Connor says.

"They know a lot and they're absolutely terrified, so they won't share because their own lives are at risk or they'll be beaten beyond recognition."

Police say their investigation is active and ongoing.

Remembering Janice

After Shore's death, a memorial was set up near the tree where she found.

Tom Oleman and other First Nations elders fasted on the site for several days and held ceremonies in Shore's memory.

"We gathered down there and we did a pipe ceremony and cleaned out the area where it happened," Oleman said.

"We hung some flags up there, which are strips of cloth with tobacco in them, and we hung them on the tree where they had her. We said some prayers, sang some songs and honoured her family."

Oleman says he'd like to hold another ceremony on Saturday but the owners of the vacant lot have fenced off the property, cutting off access to the tree.

Shore's voice

Connor got to be close with Shore's brother Ed, who searched relentlessly for information about her death.

He made Connor promise him that she would continue to tell Shore's story until her killer was caught.

Connor says Ed vanished from the strip a couple of years ago and she hasn't been able to contact him but she intends to keep her promise.

"Her death is not in vain," she said.

"We developed a women's program in memory of Janice. We have an overnight shelter and a drop in program because of Janice. Little Janice Shore, who didn't say much and was a meek, quiet, girl, has really had a strong voice since her death."