Brother of Calgary double homicide victim says she was planning on leaving husband after Christmas dispute

A family member of the double homicide victims in Calgary’s northwest says his sister was planning on leaving the alleged murderer after some fighting at Christmas dinner.

Ania Kaminski, a Calgary teacher and mother of three, and her father Stanislaw Wardzala were both shot to death on Dec. 29 in their Tuscany and Kincora homes.

Calgary police allege her husband, 38-year-old Benedict Kaminski, is responsible for the double murder.

They say a man in his 70s, was found dead in a home on Kincora Grove following reports of a person in medical distress at around 9:30 p.m., and a woman in her 30s was found further west on Tuscany Ridge Heights just under two hours later at 11:15 p.m.

Police believe the incident is both targeted and domestic.

Benedict’s body was found Monday near his car after a manhunt and emergency alert.

Ania’s younger brother Peter Wardzala tells CityNews the family was having Christmas dinner when an argument broke out between Benedict and the family, a dispute between the kids and where they were sitting.

“Myself and him almost got into a fight inside of the house, but I did not want that to happen, because the kids were right there, because this was at the dinner table,” he said.

Peter says they were going to call the police after asking Benedict to leave, but he did so before officers arrived.

“My sister said she was done,” he recalled. “I’m pretty sure that, yes. She said that she was going to leave him.”

Once Christmas dinner finished, Wardzala says Ania decided to stay at her father’s house in Kincora Grove with her children.

Days later on Dec. 29, she went by her Tuscany home to drop the kids off so they could spend some time with Benedict.

Peter says he was working when they talked, exchanging texts about her plans to grab a few things and drop the kids off. He also recalls her saying going there was “hard.”

“And with this whole timeline, to be honest, I don’t even know if that was her who texted me, because, after everything that happened and all that, I was … started tracing back, so I don’t even know if it was her who messaged me,” Peter said.

That text exchange was the last time he talked to her. When he tried to text Ania again half an hour later, she was unreachable.

But he got a call from his mom a couple of minutes later, saying his father had been shot.

“Right away, I left work. I got in my vehicle, and sped home as fast as I could,” Peter said.

“Because of what I heard from what my mom said, I wasn’t thinking about my sister. But when she said that my dad was shot, I automatically knew that it was him because there is no reason for anyone else in this city to have gone to my dad — our house, and shoot him.”

After talking to the police and sharing their concerns for Ania’s safety, it was close to midnight when they were informed about Ania’s murder.

Peter says Benedict killed his sister with the kids at home, then went to the family home in Kincora and killed his father, then went back to Tuscany to pick up the kids and drop them off at the family’s cousins before taking his life.

“I don’t know if he put on a movie for them or something, but I feel I again. I’ve talked to so many people, I want to say that I heard that he put on a movie for them, something like that,” he said.

Aware of what Ania’s young children have been through, Wardzala says he and his mother plan to be the primary caretakers for her three children.

He also says he’ll share what happened with the kids when the time is right.

“When they’re older, you know, they definitely have the right to find out what happened exactly, but as they are children, I mean, we will tell them that their mother and grandfather are in a safe place,” Peter said tearfully.

“You know they’re always going to be looking down, watching over them and yeah, it’s just not the right time, obviously, to say exactly what happened.”

Peter, moved by the community’s response and the fundraiser for the children, says his family is aware of a candlelight vigil being organized for Ania by the Tuscany community.

It is being held outside Ania’s home in Tuscany at 9 p.m. at 340 Tuscany Ridge Heights.

Furthermore, a GoFundMe has also been set up by Ania’s friend on behalf of her mother to support her three children.

“In this devastating time, we seek to provide support and help these kids navigate their grief, ensuring they have the resources and care they need as they move forward without their mom,” the fundraiser reads.

The funds are meant to help the family with any childcare and education expenses.

As for the funeral, while awaiting the autopsy results, Peter mentions they are making arrangements to say their final goodbyes to their loved ones.