'It could be people that I know,' says acquaintance on who killed Marcel Reardon

A woman who knew homicide victim Marcel Reardon, 46, says he had a major problem with alcohol, and was addicted to prescription drugs, and had used cocaine.

"He knew a lot of people, and if it was drug related, it could have been anybody. Itcould be people that I know," Karen Noel said, when asked who may have killed Reardon.

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Reardon's body was found outside Harbour View Apartments on Brazil Street in St. John's Monday morning.

Never thought that the man I was talking to Friday, prior to his death, would end up on the news as a homicide.- Karen Noel

According to Noel,Reardon was in a bad way for two weeks before he was killed.

She addedhe wasn't himself when she met him at a downtown soup kitchen shortly before his death.

"The Tuesday before his death, actually. We were lined up at the counter. The meals were being served and he came up and said, 'Karen, can I jump ahead of you?' He said 'I haven't slept and I haven't eaten in three days,'" said Noel.

"I asked him what was he on. He wasn't himself then. He was flying around hyper. I could tell he wasn't sleeping, wasn't eating properly."

Noel said the last time shesaw Reardonwhen he was walking on Water Street onSunday the day before he was found deadand had spoken with himonly days before.

"When I found out the news, of course, I was saddened and shocked," she said. "Never thought that the man I was talking to Friday, prior to his death, would end up on the news as a homicide."

'How could someone take another life?'

Meanwhile, Reardon's family is alsowondering who could have possibly killed him.

"He was a loving father of two boys, and would give you the shirt of his back,"Reardon'ssister-in-law, Lisa MarieSharpe, said in a message to CBC.

"As a family, we would really love to know who would do this to him? How could someone take another life?"

Sharpe said they are also wondering what was going on in Reardon's life at the time. "We are asking ourselves, 'How did Marcel let this happen to himself?'"

Two years ago, Readon's mother died of cancer. Sharpe said he didn't know how to handle it.

Sharpe said her son, who has cerebral palsy, loved him. "Marcel would come visit him and playwith him and make him laugh. I know my wonderful little man will miss him dearly"

SharpesaidReardonwas also close tohis two brothers and his sister. "We are so very broken over this. I don't want anyone to think that Marcel didn't have a family. We loved him so very much."

She said the family wants this crime solved.

"It's out of this world that this beautiful, kind, caring, lovable person has been taken from us," said Sharpe.

"I hope and pray that the police find his killer."