John Kerr death: Hundreds attend memorial walk to honour Noosa Heads granddad

Hundreds of people came out to walk at Noosa Heads to honour the life of alleged attack victim and beloved granddad John Kerr, 87, and “reclaim” the area.

A memorial walk for beloved Noosa granddad John Kerr, 87, was held on Sunday, June 25, after Mr Kerr’s death from an alleged fatal random attack on Sunday, June 18.

It was a brisk winter morning as hundreds of people came out to walk along Noosa Heads on Sunday to honour the life of slain grandfather John Kerr, 87, and “reclaim” the area.

Schoolteacher and father-of-four David Knechtli, 62, walks the Hells Gates track, starting in Noosa Woods every day about 5am.

Mr Knechtli organised the memorial walk on Sunday, June 25 from 6am to honour the life of Mr Kerr – a Noosa Golf Club member of 28 years – and importantly, Mr Knechtli said, to send a message that the community will not cower in fear.

“We just are reclaiming our streets back for our community,” he said.

He said more than 400 residents attended the walk.

The memorial walk organiser David Knechtli said he was amazed by how many people showed up to support the initiative after the death of John Kerr.

“We didn’t realise how many people were there until that just started stretching out,” he said.

“We have such a big walking community, I think the community wanted to get behind and say ‘enough is enough’ and we are taking back our community.”

On Sunday June 18, the morning of Mr Kerr’s death, Mr Knechtli fortuitously decided to delay his early-morning walk for a 2pm start time.

He said had he stuck to his routine he “would’ve been there” when the alleged attack which claimed Mr Kerr’s life took place.

David Knechtli, pictured, organised a memorial walk for John Kerr, 87.

Mr Knechtli described what happened to Mr Kerr as a “tragic one-off” and said in his years doing the daily walk he had not encountered any issues.

A Queensland Police spokesperson said as of Monday, June 26, no charges had been laid in relation to Mr Kerr’s death.

They said investigations were continuing.

Noosa man John Kerr died after an alleged attack near Hastings Street on Sunday, June 18.

Mr Knechtli said he knew the couple that had tried to save Mr Kerr’s life, one a registered nurse, and said he felt sure he would have crossed paths with Mr Kerr on a morning walk.

“All the regulars are still there and still walking,” he said.

The memorial walk for John Kerr was organised for Sunday June 25, 2023.

Mr Knechtli said, despite the community’s collective grief over the incident, there had been positive outcomes from the walk.

“We’ve got community talking to community and that’s empowering when that happens,” he said.

“I was stopping every five minutes to chat to people.

“We’re building our community which I think is something we lose a little bit in this day and age.”