The family of a Penhold teenager who was found dead on the side of Hwy 2A on Red Deer’s outskirts early Thursday is appealing for anyone who saw what happened to come forward.
Kimbal Raymond said he wants to know what happened to his 17-year-old son, Logan Jesse Raymond, who had been walking home following a party.
“He was a good kid and this wasn’t his fault,” said Kimbal on Friday. “I wish that whoever is responsible or knows what happened, would step forward.”
The Calgary medical examiner’s office conducted an autopsy and determined that Logan had died from a severe injury to his head.
He was found on the side of Hwy 2A, just south of the city’s limits directly west of the Word of Life Church, at about 1:30 a.m. A man who telephoned the Advocate on Thursday said he had stopped after seeing something on the side of the road and upon discovering the young man, he checked for a pulse but didn’t find any.
RCMP are trying to find out if Logan may have been struck by a vehicle or some part of a vehicle, or alternatively fell while on a vehicle or from inside. The brown-haired teen was wearing a dark brown hooded sweatshirt, white T-shirt with a blue logo on the chest, blue jeans with a black and green checkered belt, and brown and black runners. RCMP have received about 12 calls from individuals who travelled in the area that night. They continue to seek assistance from anyone who was driving on the road between 11:30 p.m. Wednesday and 1:30 a.m. Thursday.
The mysterious circumstances behind Logan’s death hit the family hard.
Kimbal and his ex-wife Tammy have a 21-year-old son as well.
“It’s horrible, I wouldn’t wish it on anybody,” said Kimbal, choked with emotion. “We’re hanging in there.”
Kimbal said he spoke with his son at 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday and he was not intoxicated. Logan lived with his father in Penhold.
“He was an awesome kid who was loved by everybody,” said Kimbal. “He’s got so many friends in Red Deer, it’s going to be hard to find a place big enough to have the funeral. He was terrific.”
Logan would have turned 18 in September.
Karyn Barber, principal at Hunting Hills High School, said Logan had been in Grade 12 the last school year and would have returned in September to complete credits towards his diploma.
Barber had come to know Logan over the four years he attended the Grade 9 to 12 school. About 1,400 students go to Hunting Hills.
“I know there will be an impact on our students and staff and overall school community,” said Barber.
She described Logan as a likable boy.
“He always had a ready smile and he had lots of friends, so he had a large sphere of influence,” said Barber. “So I know his loss will be felt by our school.”
Barber is not sure how the school will handle the death of Logan when classes resume in a few weeks. Normally, during a school year, a crisis response team would be brought in for grief counselling for these types of incidents.
“A lot of students in high school haven’t had the opportunity to deal with the loss like that, so I’ll definitely have to be sensitive and careful to assess how the students are doing,” she said. “Then we’ll deal with situations as they arise.”
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com