The Thunder Bay man charged with writing “I killed those kids” on the side of an Via Rail train car at Kamview Overlook Park says he didn’t write it.
“I never did,” said Glenn Kwandibens, 27, in a Facebook chat Monday with APTN National News. “I told (the police) anybody could of wrote it.”
Kwandibens has been charged with mischief under $5,000.
The graffiti was first brought to the attention of Thunder Bay police when an APTN reporter spotted the writing and tweeted a picture of it from his Twitter account Wednesday evening.
Train yard confession… pic.twitter.com/hVZhvsVR6x
— Kenneth Jackson (@afixedaddress) June 8, 2017
Three APTN reporters were at the site filming an interview at the time.
The following day a detective from Thunder Bay police contacted the reporter asking him to give a statement. The reporter said there was nothing he could offer, as he didn’t see who wrote it and didn’t know how long it was there.
“You found information about somebody killing kids. That’s pretty important information don’t you think?” Det. John Read said. “You are potentially a witness to something incredibly important.”
The area is where where the body of Jethro Anderson was pulled from the Kaministiquia River in 2000, the first of seven mysterious deaths of First Nations youth in Thunder Bay that sparked an inquest.
The Thunder Bay police identification unit attended scene Thursday and “processed the scene for the documentation and collection of evidence.”
Police said it was looking at all option to determine who wrote it and “any relevance to outstanding investigations.”
The city then removed the graffiti, which also included an address and other graffiti.
The street address was the same as Kwandibens address but didn’t include his exact unit number. It’s a multi-unit walk up.
“Yeah it’s my address. But not my unit number,” said Kwandibens, adding he felt he was being framed for it because he likes to drink in the area.
Police said they arrested Kwandibens Saturday just before 10 p.m. without incident. He was released on a promise to appear in court.
Coincidently, APTN first met Kwandibens June 5 when he was with his girlfriend near the McIntyre river.
During an interview with Kwandibens and his girlfriend, which an APTN reporter was filming with his mobile phone, two Thunder Bay police officers approached asking what they were doing by the river.
The reporter identified himself and police continued to ask the couple questions, like had they been drinking, their names and where they lived. Kwandibens gave his address.
Police left without any incident only to return minutes later and escort the couple to the local shelter.
These are hate crimes and need to be prosecuted as such. It’s time TBPD take these seriously. There are many many more.
i’m being framed. i don’t like what they are saying about me. i will rewrie everything. for the press to witness me doing it. if you look closely. its left like its spelled with the right hand. and i’m left handed and that’s what i stand by. if i did it. i would say something about it. what i told them at the police station. it sounded like they wanted me to admit to it, the officer said under his breath when the interview was going down. and told me i was going to get released if i said it. to admit to it, i didn’t tho. what was i suppose top do. i didn’t want to stay in jail for something i didn’t do. and sure i never did, and i’m bring to attention that its the truth… love glen allen kwaundibens
Do you have a lawyer?