Reply To: nichum aveilim when one doesn’t know the niftar/family

I recently was in this situation. I knew the nifteres’s son-in-law from my mesivta days , I went, sat, for a few minutes, spoke to the avel, wished the aveilim Hamokom and left. The next day my sister sent me a text message stating how the person sitting shiva appreciated that I took the time to come and be menachem avel.