‘A long, long time coming’: Mother of Kamloops mistaken-identity murder victim relieved at charge approval

“I now have what I asked for since day one… a name, a face, somewhere to put my anger, my frustration, my oldest feelings,” adds Nobles. “I have somewhere to put it now.”

Gill was standing outside the Comfort Inn and Suites in Aberdeen on the morning of Jan. 23, 2019, when he was fatally shot. On the same day, about two hours earlier, 31-year-old Cody Mathieu was also shot and killed outside of the Super 8 Motel in Valleyview.

Initially, police stated Mathieu was connected to the local drug trade, and the two shootings were linked.

Investigators later apologized, saying Gill had no connection to criminal activity and was believed to have been killed in a case of mistaken identity.

“When they said it was drug related… I was in shock. I’m like, ‘There’s no way that would be Rex,'” Nobles added, addressing the ‘mistaken identity’ claim. “He wouldn’t do that. Losing your child is something that will never go away. It’s a part of your life that is gone, it’s missing, you can’t replace it. There’s no replacement for Rex.”

Gill was a father of two boys and two stepdaughters. In the years after his death, his family organized charity motorcycle rides in his name, continuing Rex’s plan to collect jackets for those experiencing homelessness.

Nobles says that generosity is how she wants her son remembered.

“He was the sunshine, he was an awesome son, awesome brother, awesome dad, awesome family member,” she said.

“His family came first.”

by Jeremy Russo

‘A long, long time coming’: Mother of Kamloops mistaken-identity murder victim relieved at charge approval

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