Parenting

Kiss left on window by girl, 4, who died suddenly preserved by forensic expert


Jillian Caslick’s ‘kissy face’ was preserved by a kind-hearted police officer in London, Canada

Police have gone ‘above and beyond’ by helping a family preserve a treasured memory of their daughter who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.

Jillian Caslick, four, had pushed her face against the window of her second-floor play room last year, leaving a mark on the glass. After her untimely death on March 3, her parents were determined to find a way to preserve the smudge their girl had left behind.

After seeing her face illuminated during a lighting storm last week, they turned to social media to ask for advice. Family friend Kimberley Vander Schelde, saw the appeal and called a friend who works for London Police, Ontario, Canada.

On Wednesday a forensic officer showed up at the house and told the family there was a chance only part of the face print could be successfully lifted before being transferred to another surface.

‘She was very sing-songy and petite, just a really beautiful personality that drew people to her’ (Picture: Kim Hunter)
Jillian’s parents were determined to save this memory of their daughter (Picture: Kim Hunter)

Jillian’s mum Rebekah Caslick said: ‘My heart was in my throat, this was such a big risk. He took all the time that was needed to make sure it got preserved and lifted well and photographed.

‘It was done so professionally and with so much kindness. I was dumbfounded. I was weeping.’

The marks left behind by Jillian were enhanced using fingerprint powder before being lifted with tape and transferred to a fingerprint card.

After examining the scene again with a flashlight, the detective found a separate mark of a ‘perfect kissy face’ the family hadn’t ever noticed and preserved that too.

Her parents hadn’t realised at the time, but after getting some sparking lip gloss for Christmas, Jillian had decided to put it on and kiss the same window.

Jillian had suffered two seizures in the past before her death and was yet to be tested for epilepsy, the London Free Press reports.

She came down with a fever on March 3 and her father Steve stayed at home with her for the day.

Jillian’s face could be seen whenever street lights shone onto the window (Picture: Kim Hunter)
Less than a day after a friend called police for help a forensic officer came over to save the print (Picture: Kim Hunter)

He checked in on her that same day and found she had died in her sleep. Jillian’s parents suspect that she died of ‘sudden unexplained death by epilepsy’.

At a time when tensions are high, her mother says the selfless act of kindness by the London Police officer has uplifted the community.

Rebekkah added: ‘It’s not to say we don’t feel that searing, horrid pain. But we also see that this isn’t for nothing. We know she’s not a life wasted, or a life lost for no reason.’

‘She was spunky and quirky and very personable. She was very sing-songy and petite, just a really beautiful personality that drew people to her.’

In a Facebook post Kimberly said: ‘Thank you to the detective that came to the house and the department for going above and beyond the call of duty in these very unprecedented times.

‘Everyone that knows the Caslick family or has even heard of Jillian’s passing all wished we could do or say something that would ease their pain even in the tiniest amount, your gift to them is a gift to us all.’

Having been engaged to a police officer who had died suddenly of unknown cases in 1995, Kimberly appreciated the importance of saving treasured memories.

The kind-hearted investigator chose not to be named, and the force knew nothing about the incident until they were tagged in a Facebook post about it.

London Police spokeswoman Sandasha Bough said: ‘This officer was able to provide such a beautiful treasure to that family.

‘This is the side of policing that often goes unnoticed. We are all part of this community. We don’t just work here, we live and raise our families here too.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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