He would spend 14 years there, moving from city to city, teaching English.

The police report indicates the incident was a homicide with unknown motive. The death certificate indicates Woodward died as a result of gunshot wounds. Those documents indicate he died somewhere between 1:30 and 2 p.m. on April 7.

According to a Brazilian Forum on Public Security Report, in 2014, 58,000 people were victims of homicide in Brazil.

Family are still unsure what happened, and are not sure how dedicated Brazilian police are to finding out. They have contacted friends of Woodward with conflicting reports indicating Woodward was shot either in or near his home where he lived with his partner and adopted son.

Though Woodward taught English, Shepley says he was considered politically active and a vocal critic of the Brazilian government, high crime rates and the militarization of police, particularly through an online forum of expats living in Brazil on expat.com.

In one post from March 12 , Woodward advises tourists to stay home rather than coming to the Olympics.

"Coming to the Olympics??? Two bits of advice, either buy a bulletproof vest or stay home," Woodward writes.

In a three-month-old comment on opendemocracy.net, Woodward writes "The Military Police in this country is a body that is completely out of control, and little better than the violent criminals that they're supposed to be protecting us from."

Shepley hadn't seen his father in more than 20 years, and said his death has been unearthing a floodgate of emotions as he researched who his father was in Brazil. Shepley, 41, lives in Strathroy. Woodward's sister lives in Hamilton.

Shepley describes his dad as a crusader for a better life in his community.

"Unlike many on social media and the Internet, he did not hide behind a username or anonymous comments. He owned what he said … he had his name proudly attached to it."

jophardt@thespec.com

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