Back in June, you heard Ricardo Palma talk about his young son, 24-year-old Iwin Palma, who had been killed in Ladyville. Then last month, you heard him make a plea to the public after his brother, 55-year-old Phillip Palma, went missing. Phillip was later found buried in a shallow grave.
And tonight, Ricardo Palma is back on the news after another of his sons was murdered last night - again, by gun violence. 32-year-old Calvin Palma was at a store in the Jane Usher area when a gunman ambushed him on his way back home and fired several shots at him.
It's the third killing that one father has had to deal with in the last four months, coupled with other relatives who recently passed away due to natural causes. And today, Courtney Menzies spoke with Ricardo Palma once again about the mountain of grief that has fallen on his shoulders. Here's that story.
A third member of the Palma family was killed just before 7 last night. 32-year-old Calvin Palma was gunned down at the corner of Mud and Curl Thompson Streets, not far from where he lived.
And this murder has left his family awash in grief. Even his father, who explained that he didn't have much contact with his son over the years, said that it was a difficult time for him, especially since he'd just lost his other son and his brother in a span of 4 months - all three by murder.
Ricardo Palma, Father of Deceased
"It's hard to say, it's a hard feeling cause I didn't know that one day it would fall at my door like this, it falls so rapid that I couldn't believe it, it doesn't even give me time to breathe. And it's a hard situation. That's all I can say so far, I don't know what to say about my little son. I try my best to see what I could do for them but my best seems like it wasn't all."
And Palma's other son, 24-year-old Iwin Palma, was killed back in June near his Ladyville home. Meanwhile, Palma's brother, 55-year-old Phillip Palma was found buried in a shallow grave last month.
And it was while searching for this body that Ricardo Palma last spoke with his son, Calvin Palma.
Ricardo Palma, Father of Deceased
"I don't really know much about my son, he's my son yes, but he raised up with his mother. The last time I saw him and spoke to him is when he went along with us to discovered my brother that they killed lately, last month, and he went with us and that was the last time I spoke with him."
"When I spoke to him, he always tell me, dad, I've been through so much problems, I'm trying to change my life, but I don't know if this is the way he mean to change his life, I don't know. It really hard for me to explain because sometimes some people tell you they try to change their life and instead of change their life they just continue do more, I don't know, I can't say."
And according to his aunt and common-law wife, both of whom were too grief stricken to speak, Palma had indeed made a change. They said that while he was no angel, he didn't deserve this type of death.
And now this family is trying to find the funds to bury yet another relative:
Ricardo Palma, Father of Deceased
"But right now he have me in a little stress because we have to try to see how we can bury him right now, I don't even have money."
"His mom is not doing well either, his mom don't have it, I don't have it, so I really like to ask the public if they can assist us with anything they can help us to try put him to rest."
"If anybody would like to help me, my number is 630-6629. You can get me any time. I just need a little help to bury him because right now I'm really doing bad."
Palma had no children of his own, but took care of his common-law wife's kids.
Once again, the number to call if you would like to assist this family is 630-6629.
