PORTLAND — More than 100 people gathered in Congress Square Park on Friday to grieve and celebrate the life of Julian Nadeau.
It was evident Friday night that the 21-year-old Portland resident, also known as Juju, was cherished by many.
“Wow, there’s a lot of people here,” said Nadeau’s partner, Kasper DeWitt, before reading a letter addressed to Nadeau aloud.
Nadeau was fatally stabbed while walking with friends near Tukey’s Bridge on the night of Aug. 5.
Glen Rodney, 58, of Portland, has been arrested and charged with murder in Nadeau’s death. According to court records, Rodney allegedly approached the group on a bicycle and yelled at them, resulting in an argument before chasing and stabbing Nadeau.
DeWitt and several friends of Nadeau’s who spoke to the crowd Friday night said it was still difficult to believe she is gone.
“It’s all just over,” DeWitt said, reflecting on the TV shows they planned to watch and meals they’ve yet to cook together.
But the love Nadeau spread throughout her 21 years will likely last a lifetime.
Every friend who spoke Friday night said Nadeau made their lives better in some capacity. Many, whether they knew her for years or months, said she helped them through dark times.
“A lot of people learned to love themselves through this human,” said her friend Andrew Jones.
Nadeau was also a furry — part of a subculture of people who are fans of anthropomorphic animal characters. She’d attend conventions and events wearing her white, green and pink hyena costume, known as a “fursuit” by members of the fandom.
A photo of her running through the Holiday Inn by the Bay at Portland’s Furcationland in 2025 became a meme among her friends.
Remmie Goyette and Jaz Means said they drove three hours from Rhode Island to be at the vigil in Portland on Friday. They met Nadeau through a furry rave one time and have spent time with her at plenty of others.
“She was my favorite person we would see at furry events,” Means said.
A number of friends introduced themselves by their furry names when they took the microphone Friday.
One noted that it was Nadeau who convinced them to attend an event after expressing curiosity. Another said a recent convention landed on a very difficult weekend for them, but Nadeau made sure they got through it — and had fun. Many described her as being the life of the party.
After reading the letter addressed to Nadeau, DeWitt recognized that it has not just been a “tragedy” for those who knew her, and thanked the Portland community at large for their show of compassion in the weeks since her death.
“I think we need to live our lives like Juju,” DeWitt concluded.
Staff Photographer Brianna Soukup contributed to this story.
