LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Branden Lillegaard is remembering his best friend and apartment maintenance worker Chris Brassard.
Brassard worked at a Southwest valley apartment complex near the intersection of Flamingo and Fort Apache. He was found dead on June 27 along with two others in an apparent triple murder.
According to an arrest report, Brassard was killed while conducting a welfare check.
Previous reporting: Las Vegas man lived with bodies for several days after murders
"It shouldn't have happened to him," said Lillegaard. "I don't even know what maintenance guys were doing, going on a call like that. It makes no sense to me."
The two met about six years ago while working for the same company. Lillegaard said Brassard trained him at work and the two have been inseparable ever since.
"He was over at my house pretty much every week, playing with my kids in the pool or we would drink beer in the garage," said Lillegaard. "I had to explain to my 5-year-old daughter she wasn't going to see Uncle Chris again and she started crying immediately."
The suspect accused of murdering Brassard is 30-year-old Spencer McDonald. McDonald is also accused of murdering his 80-year-old grandmother Dina Vail and her 43-year-old boyfriend Andrew Graden.
McDonald appeared before justice court Judge Amy Chelini Monday morning when he was ordered to remain in custody without bail.
Triple murder suspect Spencer McDonald is back in court. A judge set his preliminary hearing date for Aug. 14. He remains in custody with no bail. @KTNV pic.twitter.com/q8RhmCjR4E
— Jaewon Jung (@jaewonnews) July 3, 2023
Lillegaard said nothing will make him feel justice was served. But he would like to see the suspect locked up forever.
"I just personally want him to go away so we don't have to see him again," said Lillegaard. "You pretty much just punched a hole in the world and that's something we're never going to get back."
He wants people to remember his kind heart.
"He would have done anything for anybody," said Lillegaard. "He cared about everybody. He wanted to make you laugh if you were unhappy or sad."
McDonald is scheduled to be back in court on August 14 for a preliminary hearing.
If you would like to donate to Brassard's family to help with funeral costs, please click HERE.
