Mother Pleads For Info In “Mistaken Identity” Murder

Clemee Joseph was wondering what her son had planned for her on Mother’s Day this Sunday. It’s a question that will haunt her the rest of her life.

Eighteen-year-old Jarvis St. Remy, went to visit a friend last Friday night and was waiting for a bus near Scarlett Rd. and Dundas St. W. around 10:45pm, when two men emerged from the shadows. For reasons unknown, the armed men opened fire, killing the teen and leaving a giant and tragic mystery behind.

On Wednesday, Joseph, her relatives and many friends came back to the scene of the terrible crime to demand justice for her son and clues from the community.

They’re sure someone knows what happened that night and are pleading for the call that provides them with answers.

“This is my first grand baby and they took him away from us,” a distraught Delores Watson observes, near tears. “And it’s not fair. People, please help us because he doesn’t deserve to go this way.”

In past murders, relatives often emerge to admit their child had gone down the wrong path and was turning his life around. But that description doesn’t fit the victim in this case.

By all reports, Remy was an excellent student, about to graduate from Western Technical School next month, and was never involved in gangs or in any trouble with police. He hoped to go on to college and an engineering career. But two callous cowards put an end to that dream and left his family in the middle of a nightmare.

They believe his killers mistook him for someone else. “My son was a good child who loved everybody and never had an enemy,” Joseph assures. “He would help anybody at any time.”

She notes the painfully ironic timing of the murder. “Instead of getting ready to attend my son’s graduation in another month and his heading out to college, I am putting my child in a casket on the eve of Mother’s Day,” she laments.

Classmates, who are also mourning their fallen friend, came out on Wednesday to support the family.

Jarvis had been visiting Joanne Wilson’s son and she was the last person to see him as he left for home. “I heard a bang,” she remembers. “And I dialed 9-1-1…” Her words trail off, unable to control her tears.

Police only have vague descriptions of the suspects and no clear motive. But homicide detectives are sure someone saw what happened, despite the hour.
 
“This is a fairly busy street,” confirms Det. Mike Carbone. “Certainly there were people driving by who would have seen Jarvis standing at the bus stop. I am inviting anyone who did see Jarvis here at the corner last Friday that they contact us.”

A makeshift memorial stands at the scene of the murder (below) and the family held its press conference there so no one forgets where it happened and what was lost.

The message from the still grieving mom: gangs and guns only lead to a dead end and destroy lives. “Guns hurt everybody,” Joseph warns. “Even those of us who were not shot!”

She’s asking anyone who knows about what happened to Remy to call Crime Stoppers anonymously  at (416) 222-TIPS.

Jarvis St. Remy’s funeral will be held on Saturday, one day before the Mother’s Day he will never celebrate with his family. 

Click here to watch Clemee’s heartbroken plea.

Click here to view Detective Mike Carbone’s appeal for information.

Services for Jarvis St. Remy    

Viewing:
Cardinal Funeral Home
366 Bathurst St. (at Dundas)
Friday, 5-9pm    

Funeral:
Our Lady of Good Counsel Church
867 College St. (near Ossington)
Saturday 9am

Statement By Clemee Joseph

“On behalf of my late son Jarvis, my family and my other son Kasim, I want to appeal to the Toronto public to please come and rally around me as a mother. My son Jarvis was a good child who loved everybody and never had an enemy.

“He would help anyone at any time. He was looking forward to applying to college and becoming something great. Though my son is in a better place now, I will never forget what the night of the first day of May means to me.

“Instead of getting ready to attend my son’s graduation in another month and his heading out to college, I am putting my child in a casket on the eve of Mother’s Day.

“We just want you to know that we miss him dearly and nobody deserves to die that way. Help us by using Toronto Crime Stoppers. Many of us overlook this system. It is completely anonymous.

“If you know anything about who killed my son, please call 1-800-222-TIPS. You can also go to the Internet on 222tips.com and text it through your phone. It is 100 per cent anonymous.

“I am also asking you the public to kindly donate money to my reward fund set up for Jarvis. I am appealing to all our young men in Toronto to PLEASE leave the guns alone! Guns would not get you anywhere in life, to get good jobs and live peacefully. Guns hurt everybody, even those of us who were not SHOT!

“Finally, we want to thank the entire community and those on Facebook for their love and support comforting us during this very difficult time.

“God be with everyone. We love you and hope one day we get justice for our son. “

“Please call 1-800-222-TIPS today.

“Thank you.”