One year later: Mother grieves, searches for answers.

Saturday, Nov. 21 marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Tyler Myers, who was found dead from a gunshot wound on the grounds of Bastion Elementary School.

The day looms large in the minds of his family and friends, as they still struggle with so many unanswered questions knowing someone killed Tyler, but has not been brought to justice.

“My son’s death has obviously been devastating to myself and all of Tyler’s family and friends. I feel there is a void in my life, a space only Tyler could fill. At this time last year, Tyler was in the field chopping winter wood. So many daily things bring back memories of what used to be,” says Barbara Myers, Tyler’s mother.

Shortly after his body was found, police classified his death as a homicide, but since then, there have been no charges laid, although RCMP report the investigation is active and ongoing.

“I can’t really reveal anything as to the status of our investigation,” says Cpl. Michel Grondin of the Salmon Arm RCMP. “All I can say is that we are still working on it and we will continue to do so.”

Barbara is confident the police efforts will bring her son’s killer or killers to justice.

“The RCMP have been very diligent in their investigation and have spent many hours speaking with me as to the events of Tyler’s life, especially since he moved back to Salmon Arm in March 2006,” she says. “Victim’s Services came through for me and I was offered the services of an excellent counsellor who helped me work through all the ‘what ifs’ that often follow the death of a child.”

Tyler, 22, was last seen near the Sullivan campus of Salmon Arm Secondary at approximately 5:30 p.m. His body was found by a passerby on the Bastion schoolgrounds two hours later.

Tyler was known for a partying lifestyle, as many of his friends and relatives share memories and images in a special memorial group on Facebook.

Friends report his life philosophy was tattooed on his chest: “Get tough or die,” it read, while on the other side was an inked tribute to his father. Tyler’s father Dusty died in a car crash in July 2004. Tyler was a passenger in the car and witnessed his father’s death.

A passage in his obituary noted, “shattered by the memories of that event, Tyler searched for some sense to the meaning of life and where he belonged.”

Tyler is described as a vibrant, fun-loving young man with a brilliant smile and a love of cars and motorcycles. Others noted he was a young man with plenty of potential for success.

However, Tyler was not without struggles. He had a criminal record of minor offences in both Salmon Arm and Campbell River, and an RCMP press release on his death stated Tyler was “known to police.”

But to those that feel the loss most closely, grief is never far away.

“I would like to thank all of Tyler’s friends for being so willing to speak with me about the good times they enjoyed with Tyler” says Barbara. “To hear how much Tyler meant to so many people is truly amazing. He had so much potential and so much to give.”

Since his death, his stepmother, Donna Linklater, has acknowledged Tyler at every holiday or family milestone over the past year.

Online, she shares the loss she feels and memories of the young man she knew.

“A beautiful day at the cenotaph today,” she wrote Nov. 11. “Remember all those times in the rain when you were in cadets.”

And at Thanksgiving, “Wish you were home sharing the bird and good times with all of us.”

But there is also frustration and grief.

“10 months: No answers for us. Ridiculous,” she posts.

“Someone stole you away from us... May they one day live to regret it.”