Everything We Know About the Murder of University of Alberta Grad Rachael Longridge

Friends and family members of Rachael Longridge, a 21-year-old University of Alberta nursing grad who was killed last week, will gather for a vigil in Edmonton Wednesday night.

Rachael was found in her Sherbrooke home on the afternoon of Dec. 23. According to the CBC, police sources say her 18-year-old brother Michael found their mother Christine stabbing Rachael with a knife. She died on scene and an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.

Christine Longridge, 50, was charged with second-degree murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

A Gofundme page set up to cover funeral costs has raised more than $29,000. It says Rachael and Michael's father died of cancer last year.

Glen Dobranski, one of Michael and Rachael's cousins, wrote on the Gofundme page that Christine had an ongoing battle with bipolar disorder over the last 18 years.

"[Rachael] spent her last hours on this earth caring for her mother," he wrote. "The last moments of her life  were filled with compassion and care. Her mother's illness was something that she understood and accepted."

The CBC reports a psychiatric examination of Christine has been requested.

It makes sense for Rachael to be described as caring. She was set to start a registered nursing job at the intensive care unit of the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute next week. It was her first full-time gig; she graduated from nursing earlier in December.

Rachael's vigil will be held at the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, where she trained while getting her degree.

On a post on the Facebook event page for the vigil, an organizer wrote about Rachael's accomplishments in her short life, including graduating at the top of her class.

"During this hard time, I want us all to gather and remember Rachael for the kind-hearted, caring, and loveable person she was," the post says. "She had spent countless hours roaming the halls of [Edmonton Clinic Health Academy] in her journey to become a nurse, meeting so many people and creating an unimaginably huge impact not only on her patients, but everyone she met."

Rachael's childhood soccer coach Sandra Hansen told VICE Rachael was funny, friendly, and popular.

"She liked to goof around a lot and was a good player. She had also talked about wanting to travel and do lots of things with her life," Hansen said.

She noted that Christine's mental health had never come up, but said, "Chris was very helpful to the team and was always involved in the community activities. She was very friendly and kind."

Rachael's friend Danielle Bourque, who is co-organizing the vigil, told CBC losing her father last December cemented Rachael's desire to become a nurse. She even attended a clinical immediately after his death, Bourque said.

"It just speaks to who she was as a person, that she showed up to clinical the next day when her father died."

Tributes have been pouring in on Rachael's now memorialized Facebook page.

"You were one of my Mom's favorite home care nurses. Her heart is overcome with sadness over the news," wrote David Palfenier.

Her cover photo is her recent graduation proof from nursing school, while her last visible status is an update about her new job. But instead of "congratulations," the comments beneath mostly say "Rest in peace."

Follow Manisha Krishnan on Twitter.