Thirty-three-year-old Tannis Corrigal was the mother of a seven-year-old and was the victim of the first homicide in Nanaimo this year.
Her friends and family are devastated by her death.
“I just want everyone to know how amazing she was,” said her friend, Samantha Boutot, on Friday. “For something like that to happen to such an amazing person it’s hard, hard to grasp.”
On Jan. 10, a person concerned about Corrigal, as she hadn’t been seen for several days, asked police to check on her.
She was staying at the Rosedale Manor apartments on Bowen Road in her mother’s unit.
Before police arrived some other people went to check on Corrigal and found her dead.
“There was an unidentified man in that apartment trying to get away, so witnesses actually tried to stop this person. He fled, so our members are just receiving this information at the time, they tried to stop the individual as well. They were unsuccessful,” said reserve Const. Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
“That person was later identified and spoke with police,” said O’Brien.
Nanaimo RCMP say their Major Crime Unit took over the file and information came to light that indicated Corrigal had met with foul play.
They’re now trying to find a stolen car with the BC License plate SP2 72P.
“It’s a grey 2007 Nissan Sentra. We haven’t found that yet and we’d like to get our hands on that and there could be forensic evidence on that,” said O’Brien.
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A stock photo of the vehicle police are looking for is shown. (Nanaimo RCMP)
Nanaimo RCMP put the plea out Thursday.
Boutot, who moved from Nanaimo to New Brunswick in 2011, says Corrigal was her best friend. They became friends at the age of 12. Boutot says she certainly did not deserve to be the victim of a homicide in Nanaimo.
“She was not like anybody else. The smile that girl would have, she could just light up the room and it just seemed no matter what was going on in her life she was still very positive around all of us and kept that upbeat personality,” said Boutot.
Boutot says she often video-chatted with Corrigal, the last time just days before her death, and Corrigal was happy and didn’t say anything about personal safety concerns.
She says Corrigal always saw the best in others, perhaps to a fault, and maybe even in the person who killed her.
“Unfortunately, the saddest part about it is it would’ve been a blindside to her as well because she would’ve had so much trust in this person not to do something like that,” said Boutot.
Boutot says Corrigal loved her child dearly and she hopes whoever is responsible for her death will turn themselves in.
A GoFundMe to help Corrigal’s family with unexpected expenses had nearly reached it’s goal Friday.
Kendall Hanson
