Posted on 03/16/2002 4:05:52 PM PST by ValerieUSA
VANCOUVER, B.C. -- The father of six children killed in a house fire in a remote Vancouver Island community was charged yesterday with first-degree murder.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Grant Learned said Jay Handel was arrested without incident at a hospital in Comox on Vancouver Island and was taken to nearby Courtenay for his first court appearance.
Learned said Handel, 45, will undergo a 30-day psychiatric review.
Sonya Handel, the children's mother, was told of the charges Friday.
"Mrs. Handel remains under a doctor's care, obviously very distraught," Learned said.
Jay Handel had been in a hospital since the fire early Monday. He had been held under a provincial statute that allows people to be kept under a doctor's care if they are considered a danger to themselves.
Witnesses at the scene said they saw Handel attempt to slash his own throat while his wife screamed hysterically nearby.
The couple had separated in December.
Killed in the fire were the six Handel children: Sebastian, age 11, Roxanne, 9, Martial, 7, Moriah, 6, Levi, 4 and Lydia, 2.
Learned said only minute bone fragments were taken from the fire, but there was enough for pathologists to study.
"What was recovered were a number of partial skeletal remains, very badly burned, almost to the point of incineration," he said.
Numerous other exhibits have been sent to a forensics laboratory in Vancouver for evaluation, and autopsies were being conducted on the children's remains.
Jay Handel continues to receive medical care and investigators have yet to do a thorough interview with him, Learned said.
The fire traumatized members of the isolated community of Quatsino, population about 75.
"I am relieved, angry and sickened," neighbor Lynda Mullett said.
On Sunday, the day before the fire, three of the Handel children were at her house for her son's 10th birthday party.
"Sebastian our timer, Roxanne a pretty flower right down to her pretty white shoes and Martial, our little clown with the whoopi cushion," said a distraught Mullett.
"Martial almost emptied my relish, mustard and ketchup bottle on one hot dog and Sebastian had two heaping bowls of ice cream."
According to accounts of neighbors and friends, Sonya Handel, 32, had spent Saturday and Sunday nights at the homes of friends.
Her husband worked in Port McNeill during the week and stayed with the children in the family home during the weekend.
Monday morning, Handel arrived early to pick up his wife. When they reached the family property, the house and three other buildings were ablaze.
The two available volunteer firefighters did what they could, but the 1930s-built house was constructed of Douglas fir and insulated with paper, and burned fiercely.
Investigators could not get into the smoldering house until Tuesday to begin sifting through the ash for human remains.
Police announced the bodies of the six children were found Wednesday.
From the beginning, police said the property was considered a crime scene and the fire suspicious, largely because all four buildings on the site were consumed by fire at once, even though they were not close together.
Grief counselors have been in the community since Monday.
The seven remaining students attending the community's one-room elementary school took down the Handel children's artwork in a sign of respect.
On Thursday at recess, the students formed a circle around the flag pole on the school grounds and bowed their heads as the Canadian flag was lowered to half-staff.
"In a tragic case like this there are many questions, questions from reporters, questions from family members and questions from the community," Learned said Friday.
Friends have described Jay and Sonya Handel as loving parents.
Sonya was an active church member who had, until recently, home-schooled her children. Jay was described as having strong convictions about keeping the evils of the outside world away from his kids. The family was said to have no radio or television.
Is this the wife's fault for leaving the children in his care?
From the beginning, police said the property was considered a crime scene and the fire suspicious, largely because all four buildings on the site were consumed by fire at once, even though they were not close together.Man, it took them a while to finally get around to saying why this guy is being charged. What's wrong with this world? People destroying their own property for (assumed) insurance claims purposes, irregardless that their kids are in the property?. . .sheesh!
Oh, and not to mention that it's pretty stupid setting fires to FOUR buildings at once like that.
He wanted to kill his family and destroy everything so his estranged wife would have nothing.Aaaaarrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh! ! !
Sounds like solitary confinement.
Not unless she knew he was dangerous or mentally unstable. Whats your point?
I don't know any details, so its impossible to say, but if she knew he was potentially dangerous or mentally unstable and did nothing to try to safe guard her children, then yes she would be negligent.
This would seem self evident though? No one expects the spouse of a deranged person to be perfect, only to do their best under difficult circumstances. Ignoring the problem as Russell Yates apparently did should not be an option.
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