Tanner Krupa was a driven and passionate young man with a contagious smile that could brighten any room. At 19 years old, the Edmonton, Alberta, native was known for his big heart, which he wore on his sleeve, and for being the first to offer help to anyone in need. A graduate of Edmonton’s Archbishop O’Leary High School, Tanner spent much of his childhood playing both inline and ice hockey. As he grew older, he discovered a passion for bodybuilding and dedicated himself to the gym, hoping to one day compete professionally. He was a hard worker, saving money from his job as a directional driller to study kinesiology at university. His mother, Kim, remembered him as the life of any room he entered, with an unforgettable laugh.
In the summer of 2017, Tanner took a temporary job in Surrey, British Columbia, laying fiber-optic lines. He completed one work hitch and returned home to Edmonton before going back to Surrey for a second deployment.
Just three days into that second trip, his life was tragically cut short. In the early morning hours of Sunday, August 20, 2017, around 5:00 a.m., Surrey RCMP responded to reports of a disturbance in a residential neighborhood in the 6900-block of 127A Street. When officers arrived, they found Tanner unresponsive in a back alleyway. He had been fatally stabbed.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) took conduct of the case. Investigators determined that Tanner’s death was the result of an altercation with a group of males. Police confirmed that Tanner, a male, had no criminal record and was not affiliated with any gangs, leaving his family and investigators struggling to understand the motive behind the violence. Surveillance footage from the area captured two vehicles believed to be associated with the group of males: a white Toyota Corolla and a white Honda Civic. IHIT has stated they believe some individuals in the group were bystanders who did not participate in the assault but have firsthand knowledge of what happened.
Over the years, investigators have continued to pursue leads, and in April 2019, they announced their belief that people with important information about Tanner's murder were living in the Edmonton area. Cpl. Frank Jang of IHIT stated, "We now believe that there are those here in Edmonton that have important information about what happened to him. We'd like to remind them that it is never too late to do the right thing." No arrests have ever been made in connection with the homicide.
On the sixth anniversary of his death in August 2023, Tanner’s mother made another emotional plea for answers. "It’s something you can never in your whole life imagine, that you would be burying a nineteen-year-old child," Kim Krupa said. "We have not one idea what happened to our boy and it’s six years. And we really wanna know what happened to him and for somebody that knows something to please come forward and give us those answers." Her family remains haunted by the unknown circumstances of that night. "Our family is just not the same without his smiling face and without him telling jokes," she shared. "It's a hole, it's just—Nothing will ever fill it."
To honor her son's memory and keep his case in the public eye, Kim Krupa created a website, whathappenedtotanner.com, where people can view images related to the case and submit anonymous tips. She also started a charity called "Tanner's Totes," which provides bags filled with toiletries and other essentials to people in need in Edmonton. "It's just such a feel-good thing when I do it," Kim said. "I just feel like he's there with us."
As of February 2026, Tanner Krupa's case remains an active and unsolved investigation listed on the RCMP's IHIT Unsolved Cases webpage. His family continues to hope that someone will finally come forward with the information needed to bring them a measure of peace and justice. Anyone with information regarding the murder of Tanner Krupa is asked to call the IHIT information line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or email [email protected]. To remain anonymous, tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
