I haven’t weighed in on Karla Homolka’s impending release – enough words have been wasted on this piece of sub-human trash.
However, I do have a question for you all – without diminishing the horrific nature of her crimes and the evidence that she’s a true psychopath – just what about Karla Homolka’s release merits more concern for the public than any number of other cold-blooded, casual murderers who are released without fanfare on any other given day?
Other than the breathless publicity the case received – the innumerable replays of the wedding video clip. Happy, shiney, blonde evil.
Would we even have heard her name had she been born at White Bear First Nation, and committed her crimes in an alley behind 20th Street in Saskatoon? How many reporters from the Toronto Star and CBC and CTV would be covering that story?
Speaking of criminal intent – Norma Jean Mooswa, who supposedly recieved a 10 year sentence last December for the vehicular murder of 6 people on July 1, 2004 (multiple drunk driving convictions) has been moved to a “healing lodge” in Southwestern Saskatchewan.
Think college campus with nicer scenery.
What was the total bill for the legal defense of these two maggots, and who paid for it? Dangerous criminals are shunted through our ‘criminal justice system’ so that they can continue to be a profitable make-work project- for LAWYERS
Perhaps those who try to characterize the Homolka case as somehow extreme have a good reason to do so. Perhaps they are hoping that there is some category of murderers who are so extreme that the majority could agree: these should be subject to capital punishment. Some category that’s so extreme that the risk of executing an innocent person would be minimal.
Insisting that “a murderer is a murderer” will dash any hopes of agreement on that subject. Same with refusing to admit any variation in “intent.”
Living in Toronto while this whole case started to unravel, I have to say it’s not so much a big story because of who they were or what they did but the way inwhich it unraveled.
For a long time, we heard on a regular basis, about woman that were being raped. The victims were usually apprehended after getting of our city buses. I can remember a lot of fear going around, women were terrified to use our transit system etc. Anyhow, this went on for quite some time. Years later, Paul Bernardo supplied DNA and other forensic evidence to Toronto police as he was a suspect in these multiple rapes (he confessed to 14 rapes I believe, although he was charged with over 50).
Years after that, we heard of the first murder, almost a year after that, the second. It was almost a year after the last murder and a good six years after the rapes that police tested his DNA and arrested him for these murders and rapes.
People were shocked to say the least. At this point Karla was in no way a suspect, in fact she had recently left him because he beat her up. It was during the investagation that police believed that she had a part in all of this, they just didn’t realize the extent. “The Deal of the Devil” as it’s been dubbed, was made. She would testify and help nail her husband, in return a 12 year sentence for manslaughter. It was a year after that the tapes were exposed and her actual role was revealed.
Anyway, most of this is probably nothing new to most of you but if you think about it, this entire story took over eight years to unravel and come out in the open. One thing led to another. It’s hard for the media or the people to ignore, especially when you’ve been living in the midst of it.
I in no way defend her and in no way feel sorry for her but like it or not she was charged and convicted of manslaughter, not murder, not rape, etc. Usually, not legally a candidate for capital punishment I believe, even if we did have it. As for the restrictions layed out today, I have mixed feelings. A part of me feels it’s the ‘safe’ thing to do but at the same time, she completed her sentence in full. How many other people that have served time for manslaughter, that are not on parole/probation or aren’t registered sex offenders given the same conditions? Is this a case of keeping an eye on her or punishing her further. How will this law be used in future cases?
In some ways I’m sure Karla appreciates her new restrictions. When the death threats start coming in, just has to break on of the conditions and she’s back in prision for a couple of years. Probably the safest place for her.
What Karla did was wrong . The deal was wrong . But she did her time . Changing the rules for this will just mean another way to control people later because the rulers will say that we believe they have hidden reasons so should be watched and monitered.
Stephen and Belleville Tory post for me, except that I fully agree that this story got more play than it really deserved — especially in the TO Sun, which failed to hide its lust for a good rape ‘n’ murder story behind its hypocritical guise of Standing Up for the Citzenry.
If we’re talking about regional competition in these ugly matters, anyone who lived through the days of the Bernardo trial won’t soon forget it, but for my money the Pickton story is even more horrifying.