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Christmas difficult for slain student's family |  |
Christmas difficult for slain student's family
The Ottawa Sun
News Friday, December 24, 1999
SEASON OF SORROW
CHRISTMAS DIFFICULT FOR SLAIN STUDENT'S FAMILY
JOHN STEINBACHS
OTTAWA SUN
A lone Christmas tree with a very special star is the only seasonal decoration at the Brockville home of Paulette and Rod Moffitt this year.
Inside the star is a picture of their slain son, Andrew Moffitt, a 23-year-old University of Ottawa student murdered last year as he tried to break up a fight between two people in an Ottawa bar.
For his family, celebrating Christmas is just too difficult.
"We can't. He's missing. We can't do anything without him," said Paulette before a mass for her son at Sacre Coeur Church last night. "We're not having Christmas."
At first, the family decided not to have any Christmas decorations at all, but decided against the idea because of their 12-year-old son, Mike.
Mike will tear open his presents Christmas morning and then spend the rest of the day with his older brother, Rod Jr.
His family has set up a scholarship fund in Andrew's memory. About $140,000 in donations has been raised from across Canada.
Henry Danninger, 27, of Brockville, is charged with second-degree murder in Andrew's fatal stabbing at the Coyotes Bar on Somerset St. E. last Dec. 23. Danninger is out on bail and a preliminary hearing start April 10, 2000.
"Justice has been slow," said Rod Sr.
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