The Burnaby man wrongly accused on Facebook of killing Surrey teen Jamie Kehoe says he's received death threats and lost his job over the incident.
Garnet Ford had his name spread all over social media networks, accusing him of being the suspect police are looking for in Kehoe's homicide.
Kehoe died when he got caught in the middle of an altercation between two women on a transit bus in Surrey on Friday and was slashed in the throat by another male who fled the scene and is still at large.
The first time Ford even heard of Kehoe or his death, he said, was when someone on his Facebook profile called him the murderer.
Yet Ford said he is baffled by how Jamie's friends even came up with his name. He said he didn't know Jamie or his friends. He doesn't live in Surrey and isn't their age. But he's a black man with a criminal record for assault and fraud, and that apparently was enough to make him the victim of a witch hunt that police had to defuse with an official statement clearing Ford Wednesday.
"I didn't even know about the incident until I was accused of it," Ford said. "I didn't know that someone could take something so far and get away with it."
Ford said he was let go from his job as a roofer this week, with his boss urging him to take time to deal with reports in the media. He's also training as a mixed martial artist and said his sponsor pulled the plug. He worries how he'll now support his wife, their four-year-old, and new baby on the way.
"I understand people are mourning Jamie and I don't want to take away from that, but I just lost my job and I have a baby on the way in less than a month.
"I want everyone to wake up and realize that they can't do this. You can't just wreck someone's fricking life because you are upset," the 26-year-old said.
"I'm not saying I'm the best person in the world, I did my sh-t, but I am a lot older and responsible now and I have a family."
Jamie's father Jay Kehoe says he's sorry that a man was wrongly accused.
"I am sorry that this guy was named, I don't think anyone should be harassing this guy," he said.
"I don't want vigilante type people out there. That's not what I want," he said. "I feel sorry for [Ford]. I don't have any control over this stuff.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team issued a release Wednesday morning to clear Ford's name. Police said Ford had been interviewed and ruled out as a suspect in the homicide.
"Ford has received death threats and is in fear for his safety," the release stated.
Police reminded the public that "uttering threats is a criminal offence and not only do these accusations and threats not help the investigation they could potentially harm it."
Sgt. Jennifer Pound said the unfounded accusations were a hindrance to the investigation.
"To call someone a murderer without the evidence to support it poses problems for investigators and the innocent people being blamed. The public need to focus on letting the police lead the investigation by facts and bringing those responsible for this tragic death to justice," she said in a release.
For his part, Jamie's father is asking his son's emotionally distraught peers to leave the police work to the police.
"I don't know where anyone came up with the name, everyone is conducting their own investigations. At this point just let the police do their job," he said.
"They could affect the case. I would encourage them, if you have information, call the police right away, don't go to Facebook, that's not going to help anything."
Police are still looking for a tall black male, about six-feet to six-foot-two, in his early twenties, with short curly black hair who is believed to have fled the scene of the bus stabbing with a female.
Witnesses who have not spoken with police are asked to contact IHIT tip line 1-877-551-4448, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
