Karla Homolka was born an the 4th of May in Port Credit, Ontario in Canada and was sentenced to prison for the manslughter of two Ontario teenage girls, Leslie Mahaffy and Kirsten French, as well as the rape and death of her own sister, Tammy Homolka. ...deal with the Devil...
The sentence followed a plea bargain in which Homolka agreed to testify against Paul Bernardo in return for immunity. Due to the nature of her crimes however, immunity was not an option, and she plead guilty to 3 counts of manslaughter, in return of a 12 year sentence.
...innocent victim of a muderous man?
Paul Bernardo, also born in Ontario, was sentenced to 25 years in Prison for murder, rape and numerous other offences, and later declared a "dangerous offender", making it unlikely that he will ever be released. He was long suspected as the "Scarbourough Rapist," and admitted to the rape of numerous victims that were not initially brought in connection with his person.Schoolgirl Killer murders- Tammy Homolka
"I wanted to give Paul Tammy's virginity for Christmas..."
Upon his engagement to Karla Homolka, Paul Bernardo's behaviour suggested an infatuation with Karla's younger sister Tammy. He expressed this to Karla, who seemed all to eager to help. On July 24, 1990 the couple lured Tammy into their home and served her a meal of Spaghetti, previously laced with stolen Valium.
Karla looked on as Paul raped her younger sister.
After spending the summer flirting with Tammy, Paul and Karla struck on December 23, 1990 yet again. They proceeded to administer sleeping pills to the then 15 year old Tammy in an egg-nog drink, undressed her and, using a Halothane soaked cloth to prevent her from protesting, filmed themselves while raping her.
Tammy Homolka began to vomit, and subsequently died. The criminal couple called 911, and Tammy was pronounced dead at St. Catherines General Hospital a couple hours later.
UNBELIEVABLY, despite a huge burn mark on her face (from the rag) and the suspicious actions of the pair, this death was ruled "accidental." Death by choking after vomitting from consumption of alcohol.
The Schoolgirl Killer murders- Leslie Mahaffy
"Karla, we have a playmate..."
Leslie was born on July 5th and at the time of her killing, she was a grade nine student in Burlington, Ontario. After attending a funeral and missing her curfew, Mahaffy was unable to gain entrance to her home and called a friend for permission to sleep over. This however, also proved futile. After ending the call, she was intercepted by Bernardo and kidnapped. Homolka was not present at the time of the kidnapping.
Bernardo and Homolka raped the fourteen year old girl, and videos of the assault were shown during their trial. Leslie's blindfold began to slip during the assault, which she allegedly commented, resulting ultimately in the fact that Homolka became paranoid at the idea of being identified. She murdered Leslie the following day, with a lethal dose of Halcion. The couple used a circular saw to cut the body into pieces, embedding each piece in cement blocks and disposing of them in Lake Gibson.
The Schoolgirl Killings- Kirsten French
Kirsten French was kidnapped at knife-point in St. Catherine's while returning home from school. Having fallen for Homolka's trick question of asking directions, she was forced into the couple's car and taken to the Homolka home. Over a period of three days, easter weekend, the couple filmed themselves beating, raping and degrading Kirsten. She was forced to consume large amounts of alcohol and was never blindfolded, leading to believe that the intention to murder her was never in question. The actual cause of death was difficult to determine due to conflicting statements made by both Homolka and Bernardo. Her body was found, relieved of her hair, in a ditch near north Burlington.Trial
The trial of Karla Homolka lasted mere minutes, She recieved a 12 year sentence on two counts of manslaughter in exchange for her testimony against Paul Bernardo. The plea bargain was met with a public outcry of rage and misunderstanding in Canada. It was also sealed, before the exact extent of her involvement in the rapes was identified. She refrained from applying for parole and was released, conditionally, on July 4, 2005. These conditions were later lifted.
Paul Bernardo's trial took place in 1995. On September 1 he was convicted on numerous charges, including two first-degree murder charges and two aggravated sexual assaults, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was later named a "dangerous offender", making it unlikely he will ever be released. He is serving his sentence at Kingston Penitentiary, under solitary confinement.
Bernardos trial included testimony by Homolka and videotapes of the rapes. It was subject to a publication ban, which was negated by many internet sources, citing the first Amendment. Although canadian media was censored by the ban, it did not prevent nearby US sources from reporting on the case.
*****
Note from the author:
The case of Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo is so full of conflicting testimony and facts that it is extremely hard to find an accurate account. I researched this case thoroughly, but the truth is I could fill pages and pages with gruesome details. It is hard to even read about these cases and maintain a journalists opinion of not being in the opinion. I want to make it very clear that I am just as disgusted as any of you reading. Growing up in Ontario, I have been familiar with this case for a long time. Many of the facts are distorted, conflicting and many of the accounts copied from other serial killers.
The fact that Homolka is now free and has a child of her own raises tons of questions that need to be asked. Can she be a mother? Can she love a child? What damage will be done to the child when he finds out who his mother is/was? Was she a victim of a murderous man? How could she sacrifice her own sister in the way she did?
Let me know what you all think. I need to get a coffee and think about happier things for a couple of minutes...
-T.
6 comments:
Tim,
This case has and still is upsetting alot of people. Was she the mastermind of all of this or just an innocent victim caught in the web of an abusive relationship? After she had made the deal with the devil, numerous video tapes were discovered that revealed that she had been much more involved as she had led to believe.
The fact that she only served 12 yrs can not be changed, the fact that she had a child of her own should have been prevented. Imagine being the child of the mother that was once declaired one of the most evil females alive.
As for Paul, yes he is serving a lifetime at the Kingston penitentary, however he doesn't have it as bad as he should. Every three months he is entitled to a 72 hr visit, where he is allowed to house within a trailer that is situated within the confines of KP. During that time he is entitled to get take out food and even have intercourse with whomever is visiting him. Does it seem fair? No!. In my opinion this case was not handled properly from the beginning and thats why it ended up the way it did.
On another view, this couple was named as having committed one of the worlds most brutal crimes. Really? yes what they did was brutal and unthinkable, but what about the crimes of Clifford Ohlsen, Ted Bundy or Ellan Legere? The reason In my opinion the media coverage was so extensive on the karla and Paul that it turned into the worlds most known case.
Great Job Tim!
To answer the questions you offered...
Can she be a mother?
Well, she can be a mother in the physical sense, emotionally I am not sure how she can care for a child and raise him/her with good values when she, herself showed nothing but complete disregard for human life and morals. Despite her past being so disgusting, while in the prison system could she have been rehabilitated enough to live a "regular" life now? I just don't see it, not with knowing what she did to her own flesh and blood.
Can she love a child?
I have a hard time with this one, I do believe she can love her child but I feel that she may be an unstable parent with the wrong priorities. One would assume she is trying to show Canada and the world that she is a different person now and no longer a threat to humanity. I would like to assume that she has been registered on the Child Abuse Registry though to protect her child and that she will have regular visits from authorities of some kind. Bottom line, she took the lives of innocent young girls, sure she had help from Paul, regardless, lives were lost to her sickening actions.
What damage will be done to the child when he finds out who his mother is/was?
No one can say for sure how the life of her child will play out. Love for your mother is very strong no matter who you are. I think that she will try her best to hide this from her child for as long as possible, living in another country is a good step to hiding this fact from him. In Canada, that child would receive a lot of harassment due to his mothers actions and history but I think she did the right thing by taking him out of this area to live a relatively normal life, until which time he can decide for himself if his mothers actions are forgivable. Why should this child pay for his mothers crime, he was born to her, he did not choose her.
Was she a victim of a murderous man?
Paul Bernardo may have had a lot of "hold" on her but no one can force you to kill another human being. You control your actions, no one else. No one can tell me that she did not know right from wrong, she would have been in a lot of trouble prior to meeting up with Paul. I think they are both very sick people and fully knew what they were doing was wrong, but they got off on it and it became a game of sorts. I believe there are many acts of violence/murder than Paul was not prosecuted for, there are many unsolved crimes in the areas he resided. Colonel Russel Williams, he was recently charged with 2 murders here in the Quinte area and he has ties to Paul Bernardo from their College days, tell me that is a coincidence? I think it was a lifestyle for Paul and Karla was attracted to the thrill/excitement of it.
How could she sacrifice her own sister in the way she did?
The situation with her sister, there is no way to defend what she did. It is the sickest of all three murders in my opinion. I have a sister and I know that I would die trying to save her from anything that could hurt her, I don't know how Karla felt that raping and killing her was an option. It disgusts me to know what they did to her, and to think that she was hoping to get away with it. 12 years was not enough and Paul has too good of a situation in the Kingston Pen, he deserves to be stuck in a hole in the ground with the women he forced there.
Those are just my opinions on things.. :)
To the questions you offered.
Can she be a mother?
Well, she can be a mother in the physical sense, emotionally I am not sure how she can care for a child and raise him/her with good values when she, herself showed nothing but complete disregard for human life and morals. Despite her past being so disgusting, while in the prison system could she have been rehabilitated enough to live a "regular" life now? I just don't see it, not with knowing what she did to her own flesh and blood.
Can she love a child?
I have a hard time with this one, I do believe she can love her child but I feel that she may be an unstable parent with the wrong priorities. One would assume she is trying to show Canada and the world that she is a different person now and no longer a threat to humanity. I would like to assume that she has been registered on the Child Abuse Registry though to protect her child and that she will have regular visits from authorities of some kind. Bottom line, she took the lives of innocent young girls, sure she had help from Paul, regardless, lives were lost to her sickening actions.
What damage will be done to the child when he finds out who his mother is/was?
No one can say for sure how the life of her child will play out. Love for your mother is very strong no matter who you are. I think that she will try her best to hide this from her child for as long as possible, living in another country is a good step to hiding this fact from him. In Canada, that child would receive a lot of harassment due to his mothers actions and history but I think she did the right thing by taking him out of this area to live a relatively normal life, until which time he can decide for himself if his mothers actions are forgivable. Why should this child pay for his mothers crime, he was born to her, he did not choose her.
Was she a victim of a murderous man?
Paul Bernardo may have had a lot of "hold" on her but no one can force you to kill another human being. You control your actions, no one else. No one can tell me that she did not know right from wrong, she would have been in a lot of trouble prior to meeting up with Paul. I think they are both very sick people and fully knew what they were doing was wrong, but they got off on it and it became a game of sorts. I believe there are many acts of violence/murder than Paul was not prosecuted for, there are many unsolved crimes in the areas he resided. Colonel Russel Williams, he was recently charged with 2 murders here in the Quinte area and he has ties to Paul Bernardo from their College days, tell me that is a coincidence? I think it was a lifestyle for Paul and Karla was attracted to the thrill/excitement of it.
How could she sacrifice her own sister in the way she did?
The situation with her sister, there is no way to defend what she did. It is the sickest of all three murders in my opinion. I have a sister and I know that I would die trying to save her from anything that could hurt her, I don't know how Karla felt that raping and killing her was an option. It disgusts me to know what they did to her, and to think that she was hoping to get away with it. 12 years was not enough and Paul has too good of a situation in the Kingston Pen, he deserves to be stuck in a hole in the ground with the women he forced there.
Those are just my opinions on things :)
Sorry it posted twice :( unintentional!
ONE PISSED OFF CANADIAN......
What is most infuriating to me about the Paul Bernardo/Karla Homolka case was the "deal" struck by the crown in exchange for Karla's testimony against Paul Bernardo.
Take A Pill......
I as a Canadian am frustrated beyond words at the apparent lack of confidence in our justice system. The judicial arena is not a political one and should never be used as a bartering platform to bring anyone to justice. After all, bartering a conviction is not justice at all and only proves that the crown itself does not have any confidence in what is arguably the second greatest judicial system in the world.
Can You Say "Hope?"......
At a time in our history when confidence in our government is at one of its lowest, it can be expected that the citizens of Canada will observe and comment on any arm of government with a skeptical eye and voice. This is a staple of any democratic nation. The onus is on those bestowed with the great privilege of leading this nation to show their confidence and prove to each and every one of us that the system works by actually letting the system work. In the end, the system itself will prove its own worth.
The Squeaky Wheel......
I revolt in disgust every time the Crown tries to work outside the courtroom in bringing criminals to justice. We often hear the term "We don't negotiate with terrorists" (which is hogwash anyway, we negotiate with them all the time) and while that may not be exactly accurate, I think I can safely claim this credo is one that would find little opposition. I think this adage is one that brings Canadians of all different backrounds and values together to fight common issues we all face. It is the very thread of this nation and society. So when did we start negotiating with criminals?
Get Out Of Jail Free Card......
Plea bargains and back room deals only serve to feed the public's skepticism regarding a system they already mistrust. Karla's testimony absolutely should have been sought after, but should not have been bartered for.
While it is true that there was a very small chance Bernardo might have beat his case and got off had the case simply been tried with no deal for Karla's testimony, I say, "So be it" - that's how the greatest judicial systems in the world work. It's not what you know, it's what you can prove. This system has never been, nor will it ever be perfect. This is the price we must pay to ensure that the unlawful imprisonment of innocent people is non-existent, or at least kept to an absolute minimum. At least we would see the flaws in the justice system for what they actually are which might lead to fruitful debate resulting in amendments to the system that might actually prevent a similar result in future cases.
Today is the day the Teddy Bears Have Their Picnic......
Please remember this article next time the Right Honorable Prime Minister Steven Harper and his Justice Minister tell you our justice system is weak - it was the CROWN that bet foolishly with our justice system and lost. The reason Karla got off so easily isn't because the system itself is weak, it's because the people running it are. You promised to let her off easy in exchange for her testimony. Now she's out of jail and you try to convince Canadians their justice system is weak. The solution they tell us, "Mandatory Minimum Sentencing." I've ranted for too long, so I won't even get into how this is going to lead us down a path of even MORE judicial bartering, but thankfully it's pretty obvious and doesn't necessarily warrant the explanation. How about just one simple rule - no negotiating with anyone accused and awaiting a trial? Had they taken this approach to the Homolka case I am convinced she'd still be in jail today. So would Paul. A lot of thought and wisdom was put into the ink that makes our judicial system the way it is. Not sticking to our own rules is futile.
That's weird that the latest comments appear at the bottom of the page, not the top. Feels very strange and uncomfortable, like new underwear.
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