‘Our family is totally ruined’: Questions plague loved ones after son charged in dad’s death

Jacob Ardagna loved nothing more than spending time visiting his family.

Now his family is trying to understand how a visit to check on his son ended in the 47-year-old's death inside a King Street East apartment last month.

Hamilton police allege Jacob was murdered by his son and his son's girlfriend. On Saturday, police arrested Ryan Cannon, 27, and Victoria Rolfe, 25. They are charged with second-degree murder.

Our family is totally ruined," said Jacob's daughter Taylor Ardagna. They were close, it makes no sense."

Jacob was a father of five, and had two grandchildren, six siblings and many extended family and friends.

He was silly, always trying to make people laugh, and thoughtful, literally giving away his shoes and jacket to people in need, his family says. One time he dug up trees his mom planted to give to a neighbour whose yard was bare.

He struggled with mental illness, but even when things got bad, he was kind and not aggressive, his family says.

Jacob had just spent about a year in a residential mental health program after he went off his medication, according to his family.

He would call his sister Josie all the time and was finally stable and back to being himself last month, she said. He had been back home in Hamilton for nine days when he died.

Josie said she last spoke with her brother on Oct. 25 - two days before he died. They had plans for him to come over for dinner in a couple of days. Jacob told her he was going to visit Ryan.

I told him not to go, that Ryan was acting a little weird," she said.

A couple of weeks before, Taylor had gone to visit her brother after learning he was staying at his girlfriend's apartment at 2130 King St. E. Taylor said she knocked on the apartment door and announced herself.

When the door opened, she was pepper sprayed in the face without warning, she said.

The family says Ryan struggled before with drugs, but he cared about his family. They don't understand what happened.

On the phone, Josie said Jacob promised he wouldn't go see his son. But after that phone call, she said she couldn't reach her brother.

Finally, on Oct. 27, Josie reached Victoria on the phone. When she asked to talk to her brother, Josie said Victoria told her he can't talk" and started to cry. Then Ryan got on the phone, Josie said, and he told her his dad showed up beaten up.

He's dead, he's dead," Josie remembers her nephew saying.

The family says they were told by the coroner Jacob's injuries were not fresh. The exact details of his death and what happened inside the apartment are not clear.

Hamilton police have released few details, citing that the case is now before the courts.

Emergency services were initially called to the building, on King between Kenilworth and Parkdale avenues, for an unresponsive man on Oct. 27, and Jacob's body was found inside a unit.

Hamilton police have said his body had several visible injuries and there were signs of a disturbance in the apartment. His death wasn't confirmed to be a homicide until after autopsy results revealed he died from his injuries. Police didn't announce the homicide until Monday, after the arrests.

Taylor said she was worried the case wasn't progressing, but now she is happy with how quickly detectives worked to lay charges.

My dad was a great guy," she said. He would always show up with a gift on her birthday, even if it was something of his own or something he found. One time he gave her a Santa figure that still had dirt on it. Taylor knew he probably found it on the ground, but she still loves it because it was from her dad and he gave it with love.

He would often give little trinkets to his sister, too. Josie says she has rings her brother gave her. She gave one to Taylor to remember him.

Jacob loved the rapper Tupac Shakur, especially the song Keep Ya Head Up."

He was cremated wearing a Tupac shirt and a bandana. Friends and family showed up at his funeral wearing Tupac shirts.

I love you dad and miss you," Taylor said.

Nicole O'Reilly is a Hamilton-based reporter covering crime and justice for The Spectator. Reach her via email: noreilly@thespec.com