KENNEWICK, Wash. — A memorial along the Columbia River, near the Cable Bridge, pays a tribute to Brandy Ebanez.
It’s feet away from where her body was found along the riverbank, in September.
“She brought so much joy to everybody,” Breeann Ebanez, Brandy’s sister said.
Ebanez, the youngest of her family, was born tough, according to her sister.
Mmy sister was born premature, she was born a fighter, she was like three pounds,” Breeann said.
The siblings and family grew up on Hawaii’s Big Island, then moved to the Portland, Oregon area when Brandy was in sixth grade.
“Her smile and her laugh – her laugh was contagious — no matter what problem you had, she always tried to make something good come out of it,” Breeann said that’s what she would miss most about her little sister.
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Family believes Brandy was trying to stay far away from the man accused of her murder, by filing a protection order, which she says wasn’t easy.
“To do this process is just crazy. Why? Why is it so hard to just do that?” Breeann questioned.
Brandy was pregnant when she was murdered.
Breeann said the suspect was the father of the unborn children and Brandy’s two other daughters.
The Ebanez family still have so many questions, lingering – like, why?
“Selfish, selfish. It was all about him it was never about my sister never about their children, it was never ever he always thought about himself. Everything is just a question, like why, why he did this, why do my nieces have to live without their mom?”
Breeann said Brandy’s body is still in Benton County, they’re awaiting the results of her autopsy, and plan to bury her in Hawaii.
Brandy’s children will be cared for by their grandmother; they wrote this note to let the community know how much they loved their mother.
“She was an awesome, soft-hearted mom who cared a lot about her children, she was loved in all our hearts – she worked hard as a single mom, she protected us, no matter what, and that we love her.”
A fund has been set up to help the family with funeral expenses and getting Brandy back to Hawaii.
The man accused of her murder is awaiting extradition back to Washington. Records say he’s due in court on November 7th.
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