Photo courtesy Nathalie Blanchard
Seeking Justice

Sister of PG homicide victim makes public plea: ‘someone knows something’

Jan 14, 2021 | 8:28 AM

PRINCE GEORGE – It’s been nearly two weeks since Elie Eric Blanchard was killed in Prince George’s first homicide of 2021.

The man who was 50-years-old when he was killed mostly went by Eric, says his sister Nathalie.

“Whoever did this is a coward,” says Eric’s sister Nathalie.” Someone out there knows something.”

Blanchard who went by Eric mostly was a brother, and a father of two, only coming to Prince George to move with his girlfriend as most of his family is located in southern Quebec.

When Nathalie spoke to CKPG News, she was at home in Ottawa.

“I was in Penticton when I received the call about Eric’s death,” says Nathalie. “I couldn’t stay in Prince George so I’m waiting for Eric to come home to me now.”

Nathalie says she hasn’t spoken with her brother in seven years, after Eric chose the way of life he did, she says the family tried everything they could.

“The door was always open for him to seek help, and the family was always here for support,” says Nathalie. “I always hoped that one day he would say one day let’s move on.”

Nathalie says her brother Eric battled drug addiction, and never found his way.

She says Eric was a talented musician, and a ‘hoot’ to be around growing up, and he was taken far too soon.

“As a sister, as a mom myself, I understand some people might be scared to talk, but there is a murderer out there, it was a pretty free-shot, they walked in, they shot him and they left. What the motive was remains to be seen, whoever did this was a coward,” says Nathalie.

Nathalie says she will remember her brother as a talented and funny person who just lost their way in life.

“Sometimes I think all you can do is try your best, and I think our family and Eric did that to try and get him some help,” says Nathalie.

Nathalie says Eric’s drug addiction estranged him from others in the family throughout his life when siblings like her wanted him to change for the better.

“I was just trying to give him time to grow up, and change, and now I never got that chance,” says Nathalie.

She says the motive for the murder remains to be seen, she says the community should be concerned.

“There is a killer still out there, and if they did it to him, they can do it to someone else too, we need to bring him to justice for what he did,” says Nathalie.

Nathalie is hoping anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers or the RCMP as the investigation continues.

Police won’t say if there have been any developments in the case as investigators work to solve Prince George’s first homicide of 2021.