Mother's Day candlelight vigil honours murdered Calgary mom, toddler

Dozens gathered in south Calgary on Mother's Day for a public vigil to mourn and remember a young mother and her 22-month-old child whose bodies were found last week.

On May 6, the bodies of Jasmine Lovett, 25, and her toddler Aliyah Sanderson were found in a wooded area in Kananaskis, just west of Calgary.

"It was heartwrenching for me to think about not seeing Jasmine on Mother's Day and Aliyah," said Jodi Sanderson, Aliyah's grandmother, before breaking into tears.

"We were very close that baby, as soon as Nana walked in, nobody existed."

The pair were last seen on April 16. Police believe they were killed sometime between April 16 and 17, and their bodies transported to the Grizzly Creek area between April 17 and 20.

Robert Leeming, who had told CBC News he was Lovett's landlord and was involved on-and-off in a romantic relationship with her, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in their deaths.

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Mourners gathered in Cranston Family Park, across from the home where Lovett and Sanderson lived where they released balloons with messages of love written on them, before walking across to a ridge on the edge of the river for the candlelight vigil.

"The community support has been endless throughout this tragedy,"said Amber Sanderson, Aliyah's aunt.

"It's hard for everybody."

Pink, white and purple ribbons adorned posts and trees around the community pink to remember the little girl, white to symbolize violence against women and purple for domestic violence.

A local grocery story also sold cupcakes in the same colours, raising more than $25,000 to contribute to an online fundraiser for the victims' family.

The online fundraiser's organizer has said any money raised above funeral costs will go to the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter.

Two trees are also being planted in the victims' names in Fish Creek Park.

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Last year, Leeming pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges after he left his dog chained to a tree to die, telling his ex-wife he had given the animal away to a friend. Four days later, a peace officer found the dog in distress.

According to divorce documents, Leeming's ex-wife called him "cruel" and, in the weeks before their separation, she worried he had been planning to kill her.

"If it's him, I'm just glad they found him quick and they found the girls," Sanderson said.

"We need to talk to our children, alert them to the dangers of being with controlling people."

Police continue to urge anyone with information regarding the case or who was in the Bragg Creek area between April 17 and 21 to contact investigators.

The charges against Leeming could be amended to first-degree murder if additional evidence is found, Staff Sgt. Martin Schiavetta has said.

Leeming is set to appear in court on May 14.