Fundraiser started for family of Merritt woman allegedly killed by husband

A fundraising campaign has been started for the family of Pamela Jarvis, a Merritt woman whose death is being investigated in a case allegedly involving intimate partner violence.

According to the campaign, Jarvis was a mother of six.

“6 children woke up today in a different reality than the one before,” the GoFundMe page says.

“One now in the limelight of an entire town and in the social media eyes of thousands more.”

Jarvis died Dec. 16, and her husband, 49-year-old Christopher Jarvis, has been charged with second-degree murder.

The 45-year-old woman’s death is subject not only to a criminal investigation, but also a police watchdog probe. The Independent Investigations Office says it is looking into the case after an advocacy group raised concerns that the Merritt RCMP had been investigating intimate-partner violence allegations involving Jarvis prior to her death.

The agency is looking into whether officer action or inaction in the case is connected to the woman’s death, adding that the office will then determine whether “there are reasonable grounds to believe that an offence may have occurred.”

The IIO is called in after any police-related incidents that result in death or serious injury, whether or not there are any allegations of wrongdoing by officers.

Proceeds of the GoFundMe campaign are intended to help the children finish school and cover unexpected costs. As of Sunday, it has raised $77,000 of its $80,000 goal.

— With files from The Canadian Press