A Dartmouth says her family has experienced unimaginable anguish since her brother was murdered last month, and the fact that one of the people accused in his death was his best friend is adding to that pain.

“It’s absolutely devastating. My brother would have taken a bullet for him,” says Melissa Weir, sister of Dartmouth stabbing victim Daniel Pellerin.

“I know Trevor very well. Trevor’s been in an out of my house quite regularly. I have fed him meals. He’s been alone with my children.”

Trevor Hannan is charged with first-degree murder in Pellerin’s stabbing death.

Pellerin, 28, was found unconscious in a parking lot on Windmill Road in Dartmouth on Aug. 29. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital.

Weir says her brother first became friends with David Hannan, Trevor Hannan’s older brother. David was murdered in 2006 and the case has never been solved.

“He tried his best after what happened to Dave to kind of take Trevor and his older brother under his wing,” says Weir of her brother.

A 15-year-old boy has also been charged with first-degree murder in Pellerin’s death, but Weir says her family doesn’t know anything about the teen.

“I can’t imagine. It’s mind-blowing to me,” she says.

She says she is also shocked by information contained in Hannan’s parole board documents.

They indicate that the 23-year-old Dartmouth man pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and careless use of a firearm after being charged with the attempted murder of another brother in 2011.

“He was put back and then let back out again, and it’s like the whole world knew that he was about to reoffend,” says Weir.

An April 2013 decision states:

“Local police authorities are opposed to your release and consider you to be very dangerous, indifferent to violence, and with a poor choice of associates. They consider it reasonable that you will continue to behave in a violent manner and such behavior will eventually escalate to the point of more serious behaviour.”

However, Hannan’s warrant expired in April and he was no longer required to live under any conditions.

“He had the nerve to show up at the wake and tap me on the shoulder and say ‘I’m sorry for your loss,’” says Weir.

Hannan is due back in court next month while the teen suspect is due in court next week.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Kayla Hounsell