Friends remember murder victim

Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter

 

Friends and family were shocked to hear that Glenn Randall, 52, a man they describe as sweet, caring and a ‘give you the shirt off his back’ kind of guy, has been charged with first-degree murder of his ex-girlfriend Brenda Walker, 49.
Walker was found in her Strathmore home Jan. 6 by Strathmore RCMP shortly after a 911 call was received by the detachment. Later that afternoon Randall was taken into custody without incident. They had been dating, and according to Walker’s blog were happy together, but due to some outside issues the pair called it quits before Christmas.
Jessica Grove has known Randall for over 20 years, and through him met Walker.
“He was just super caring, which sounds weird now, but like overly loving. He would bend over backwards to help anybody, go out of his way sometimes to give people what he didn’t have. So it’s obviously hard to believe for anybody that knew him well, what happened,” said Grove.
“Then we met Brenda of course and she seemed to be his perfect match. She was equally sweet and thought the world of him, and he thought the world of her and they just seemed so perfect together. She was really sweet and really smart. She was pretty grounded.”
Lyndsay Ratson, who also knew the couple, agreed with Grove. She had also met Walker through Randall, and instantly the two women hit it off.
“She was a constant inspiration to me,” said Ratson.
“I had just gotten into business for myself and trying to have success, not just in business, but in life, and so with her life coaching, for a person who couldn’t have possibly been better for it, she was just always there to lend an ear and offer help to anybody. You really appreciate good people when they come into your life and I just wish I could have had more time with her.
“If I could sum up Brenda it’s a warm, kind, selfless, generous, beautiful person who was a light in any room that she walked into, who did great things with her life that will never be forgotten with her death.”
Both women remember the morning the news broke.
“I went uh oh, that’s Brenda’s area, so I messaged her and said ‘hey, this craziness is going on in your area’ and she never messaged me back. I messaged Glenn and said ‘hey, what’s going on?’ and he never messaged me back,” said Grove.
As the day went on and more details were emerging she was getting more concerned, and then was shocked to find out it had been her friend Brenda.
“Then I was in denial like ‘oh, it couldn’t have been him, it had to be someone else, there’s no way it could have been him, it could have been someone different,’ just coming up with a million different scenarios. Then when I found out it was him it was just complete sadness, I couldn’t believe that would ever be the outcome for those two people, not in a million years,” said Grove.
Ratson had also sent a text to Walker to make sure she was okay. She never received a response. She couldn’t believe the news when she heard that it involved both Walker and Randall.
“Complete total disbelief and shock because it wasn’t Glenn, it was the furthest thing I ever, ever, ever could have imagined that he could do. My first initial reaction was ‘my God, they must have the wrong person.’ It was the same thing with Brenda as well, this is a dream, this isn’t right, it couldn’t possibly be Brenda,” said Ratson.
“Even trying to fathom, put two and two together, on what could have possibly made Glenn snap was just beyond any realm of comprehension because it was so not Glenn, he was the kind of person that would give you the shirt off his back even if he didn’t know you.”
Friends and family are still trying to understand what happened, knowing they never fully will.
“There are a lot of close friends and family and everyone is trying to process it, and everyone is trying to get the details and everyone is trying to figure out what happened. In the end the results are the same, and even in our right minds, if we knew the whole story and every detail I still don’t think we would understand why, I don’t think anybody will,” said Grove.
“The only person that knows what was going on in his head is Glenn, and now he is going to have to live with this for the rest of his life, the fact that he murdered a woman he loved, and that is something I know he will struggle with and never ever forgive himself for,” said Ratson.
“My heart goes out to his entire family because they’ve lost as well right now.”
Randall is scheduled to appear in Strathmore court on Jan. 20 at 9:30 a.m.