I found it almost impossible to put into words the impact of losing Kiena. To her entire family, her beautiful daughter and all her friends.
Kiena was a rare gem. She brought so much love and kindness to this world and to all who loved her. She was an extremely beautiful girl and was truly the sweetest, kindest and gentlest person I have ever known.
Kiena is deeply missed every second of every day. Her daughter was brought to my home a few hours after Kiena was found and has been in my full-time care since that tragic day. I honestly can't put into words how much it breaks my heart that her beautiful baby doesn't have her mother here because of that monster.
I'll never forget the day three detectives came to my house shortly after I lost Kiena. And I simply said, 'Ryan Wellings killed my baby' and I will fight for her justice.
I truly hope that no other young lady or child has to go through what he did to my daughter and her baby. I wish with all my heart I could bring her back and say, 'It's okay, you're safe now.'
I have been asked to talk about the impact the loss of Kiena and the crimes committed have had on me. I've already talked about this briefly, above and in my previous statements. There are a few areas that I will go into in a bit more detail, but I feel like my words may make little difference, but it is important for me to say the following.
I have been robbed of watching my daughter live her life, and her little daughter have her mommy.
I will never be able to hold any children Kiena had in the future, or watch Kiena live her life the way she should have.
If [my granddaughter] is growing into a young lady herself, she has been deprived of a mother to go to, or if she has children of her own, of her own mother to go to, but I will step into this role for Kiena.
I will never be able to live a normal life because of the coercive and controlling behavior and seizures Kiena has suffered.
The loss of Kiena resulted in [my granddaughter] as a baby with separation anxiety and this is something I dealt with in the early days of her being in my care.
On many occasions, including July 11, 2022, [my granddaughter] was exposed to and witnessed extreme domestic abuse and violence against her mother. I am working through this as best I can and will continue to do so as she grows into a young lady.
Another example is that [my granddaughter] has already asked me where her mommy is. I've found it impossible to answer that question, along with the simplest questions like what [she] calls me. I know I'm her grandmother, but thinking about explaining this to her is impossible.
In terms of my own health, the impact has been significant. In the first days after Kiena's death, I struggled to function or eat well. I still remember the first time I left home [my granddaughter] After coming into care, I had social anxiety and was afraid to go outside and see people. It was a huge task to initially leave the house. I have sought medical attention for this and the impact on my health will be long term. As a direct result of what happened to Kiena, I have been diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety, for which I am supported by my doctor. I also suffer from frequent nightmares, flashbacks to Kiena being on a train line, and find that simple things like a television program can trigger memories, because of the storylines or content.
Before July 2022, I was working and had confided in a few colleagues about the impact of the domestic violence on Kiena. I did not return to work after July 11, 2022, when Kiena was last attacked by Wellings. That day I had to call my manager and explain that Kiena had been severely assaulted. I sent her a few pictures so I didn't have to explain too much when I sat with Kiena. That day I was told I wouldn't get paid because I wasn't injured. Before this job, I always made sure I had my phone with me if Kiena needed me and I always checked my phone in case Kiena had called or messaged me. The future I thought I had now looks very different in terms of finishing and retiring [my granddaughter’s] care and education is my absolute priority. However, this will be an honor and a privilege to raise my daughter's girl.
I feel like I experienced Kiena's domestic violence with her, and what I mean by this is that I was her main source of support, and I experienced the full range of emotions that Kiena had to go through with her. I was so afraid of saying the wrong thing to Kiena because I wanted her to know that she could come to me at any time and I didn't want her to close down. There were times when I found out that things had happened a few days later, like the black eye in July 2021, and I know Kiena sometimes tried to protect me by not saying things.
As a mother you do everything you can to help your child, and I have had to live watching my daughter tell me she was terrified and trapped, and when she said these things it literally took my breath away , just like I did. I don't know how to help, I felt helpless. After an incident with Wellings, Kiena would come safely and stay with me. I can only explain that I would see a light turn on again and she would gain some power, but Wellings always found a way to take back control and take her power away.
It's heartbreaking to see your child hurt by anything, even accidentally, but it's sickening to see your daughter hurt by someone else.
Kiena always followed my advice, always asked for help and tried to do the right thing.
I moved so that I not only have space and a comfortable home for it [my granddaughter]but also initially I lived along a railway line that I simply could not continue on. Kiena was my best friend and I had trouble doing the things we used to do together, for example we often went for tea together. I have cut many people out of my life to get through the days and to protect myself [my granddaughter] and me. Fortunately, my friends and family understand this and are always there for me.
Wellings has never admitted to the horrible acts he committed against my daughter. I had to endure a trial period of almost six weeks and watch as my daughter's private life was torn apart and her mental health scrutinized and assessed. She has been violated. There is no other word for it.
It was also extremely traumatic for me to see Kiena so upset talking to police officers and looking back afterwards at her so helpless in life and seeking help, knowing what ultimately happened to her. It was horrible to see videos of her crying and upset while pregnant or cuddling her baby. It's hard enough watching videos of her having fun and laughing. Ryan Wellings did all that to me. He could have pleaded guilty to the offenses and none of us would have ever experienced that, with the eyes of the public on all of us. This in itself has been a trauma.
Whenever Wellings is released from prison, I will be very concerned that he will do this again. He's a dangerous man. I don't know what impact his release from prison will have on other women and children.
What my future holds now is that I am strong enough to grow up [my granddaughter]. I cannot accept what happened to Kiena and that as a result she is not here. I was robbed of my daughter.
