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Homicide victim Chucky Klose described as ‘kind and gentle,’ ‘very forgiving’

Abbotsford resident killed in Chilliwack; body found in parking lot on June 6

An Abbotsford man who was the victim of a homicide on Saturday night (June 6) in Chilliwack is being described as a kind and gentle soul who was forgiving of everyone.

Charles (Chucky) Klose, 58, was found dead at about 11 p.m. at the back of the Scotiabank parking lot in the 46000 block of Yale Road in Chilliwack.

Police said Klose had wounds indicative of homicide, and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) was called in and is continuing to investigate.

John Dueck, who previously worked with the Salvation Army in Chilliwack in the areas of shelter and outreach, said Klose was well-known to outreach workers and street people in the area.

Dueck said he was doing some street ministry in Chilliwack about two years ago when he first met Klose outside a local business. He immediately found him to have a “kind and gentle” demeanour.

RELATED: IHIT investigating homicide of 58-year-old Abbotsford man in Chilliwack

Dueck later began working for the Salvation Army, and spoke with Klose often to check on how he was doing and to help him with shelter and resources.

Klose was eventually paired up with a family as part of the John Howard HomeShare program, a supported-living option for adults with developmental disabilities.

Dueck said, due to privacy issues, he couldn’t disclose Klose’s specific circumstances that led to him requiring care.

The family, who first lived in Surrey and is now residing in Abbotsford, took excellent care of Klose in the time he was with them, Dueck said. (The family declined to be interviewed.)

But he said Klose had strong connections in Chilliwack and often travelled there to visit his friends.

On Saturday, Klose was seen near Sevenoaks Shopping Centre in Abbotsford. He then took the bus from the Bourquin Exchange to Chilliwack.

A video posted on YouTube by Jordan Barr, a friend of Dueck’s, shows Barr and a woman talking to Klose at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. The video indicates that the pair are an “outreach team” who were “ministering” to Klose.

In the video, Klose says his legs are causing him discomfort, and the pair pray for his pain to be eased.

They walk with Klose as he proceeds to the bus exchange. When someone he knows asks him what he’s doing, he indicates that he’s catching the bus to Chilliwack.

That video has been turned over to police as part of their investigation.

Dueck said Klose’s death has hit the street population hard.

“Chuck really didn’t have any enemies. He was about as harmless as they come,” he said. “Everyone loved Chuck. There was not a bad thing to be said about him.”

Dueck recalled seeing Klose a couple of times after he had been beat up, and said he was never vengeful about the attacks.

“He was a very forgiving man,” he said.

Dueck said in addition to the grief caused by Klose’s death, the street population is concerned about their own safety. They have heard that Klose was killed in his sleep, although police have not released that information or the cause of death.

Dueck said there are tentative plans for a vigil to take place at the location of Klose’s death sometime over the weekend.

Anyone with information about Klose or his death is asked to contact the IHIT Information Line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. Should you wish to remain anonymous, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).



Vikki Hopes

About the Author: Vikki Hopes

I have been a journalist for almost 40 years, and have been at the Abbotsford News since 1991.
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