Published by Robert L Senior Reporter on Saturday 29th March 2025, at 07:30hrs
Nearly a year has passed, but the grief remains raw and unrelenting for the family of Stuart, affectionately known as “Benny,” whose life was brutally taken and then callously erased.
In a heart-wrenching statement, his sibling revealed the depth of their trauma, compounded by the calculated nature of the crime.
“Benny is our family nickname for our endearing and loving Stuart,” they said.
“For any person to be treated in the way he was, brutally murdered and then systematically and comprehensively disposed of, has meant our family has been left traumatised beyond belief.”
The family’s first Christmas without Benny was a stark reminder of their loss, a once joyous occasion now marred by an irreplaceable absence.
“Our Christmas dinner was not the same without him. Our family is now incomplete.”
The revelation of a birthday card, sent under the guise of normalcy by the perpetrator, added another layer of pain.
“I keep looking back at the birthday card that I received last April, this is made even harder to look at as we now know it was sent from a merciless individual who wanted to make it seem like our Benny was still alive, in order to cover his own monstrous actions.”
Adding to their anguish, cherished family memories were destroyed. “Benny was the closest to our parents, and he was the keeper of our family photos, documents and memories which were all carelessly thrown into a skip by his killer.
Our parents were our heroes who suffered unimaginable pain in a concentration camp during World War Two, before they moved to the UK.
These records and images of our heritage and history are now lost and were so thoughtlessly disposed of.”
The family expressed their profound gratitude to Greater Manchester Police for their tireless efforts.
“We would like to acknowledge the work of Greater Manchester Police, and we know that officers and staff across the force have put in exceptional effort, working around the clock, seven days a week to help find my brother’s remains, to bring him home to us, determine what happened to him, and to ultimately find his killer.”
The sibling’s personal grief was palpable.
“Every time I look in the mirror I see him, we were so alike, even in our voice and mannerisms. This is a permanent and painful reminder that he will never be with us again.”
Despite the overwhelming sorrow, the family finds solace in small acts of remembrance.
“Benny’s ashes sit on our fireplace at home, and I tap his urn each morning without fail to say good morning to him and I cherish that we have some part of him that was brought back to us to remember him by.
He is with us and will always be with us in spirit.”
They also expressed their appreciation for the support they received from the community.
“The past 12 months have been some of the most challenging our family has ever had to endure but this has been made just that little bit easier because of the outpouring of love and comforting words from people across Greater Manchester and beyond, who have all come together to mourn a truly unique and special human being with us.”
The statement concluded with the poignant inscription from Benny’s urn: “Those we love don’t go away, they walk with us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near. Still loved, still missed and very dear.”
Marcin Majerkiewicz was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 34 years to be served before being considered for parole.
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