Emotional day in Homolka's hometown

A little bit of street justice could ammend what the authorities failed to do.

The entire picture the media paints of this story, as it pertains to Homolka, appears to be a bunch of BS.

Let me get this straight: Karla is actually innocent because if things had "gone right" she wouldn't have met this guy in the first place who set her down the wrong path?

I don't think that sort of argument is going to work very well on FR.

Always be suspicious of any political party anywhere that has "Democrat" or "Democratic" in the title.

Especially if it has "New" in there anywhere. That usually implies a hard socialist party made up of people that found the mainstream liberal party too right-wing.

These two, Bernardo & Homolka, were/are as sick as England's the Wests.

And again, they could easily have voided the plea agreemnt after the fact and given her life.

That's sickening!

In Canada it's a miracle that she was put in jail at all. The pedophile ring operated out of Maple Leaf Gardens for many years netted its perps fewer than 5 years apiece -- and the only one that got 5 years had his sentence INCREASED from 2 years less a day only upon the dramatic suicide of the victim who blew the whistle on the ring.

I hope she never closes her eyes for the rest of her life.

One of the few sources for real info on this story.

I take it a number of the people posting on this topic think the Canadian mainstream media is accurate and truthful, despite what we know about our own meainstream media. What about Santa Claus and the Easter Rabbit? Are they real too?

I dont know what in my post would have brought you to an opinion that I would want Karla in my neighborhood. The reference in the last paragraph was more tongue in cheek than anything else. Of course I wouldnt want to live next to this woman, in fact I would buy a raffle ticket to pull the switch on her and her husband. Both deserved and should have been executed. Her life is pretty much set now by the restrictions placed on her.. The greatest problem is that the restrictions placed on her punish those who have to live alongside her.

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Karla Leanne Homolka, also known as Karla Leanne Teale, born May 4, 1970 in Port Credit, Ontario, Canada, was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison for her role in abetting her husband, serial killer, sex offender, kidnapper, and rapist Paul Bernardo.

Homolka attended Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in St. Catharines, Ontario, where she had moved when she was only a few years old. After high school she started working in a veterinary clinic and in October of 1987, she met Paul Bernardo at a Toronto pet industry convention.

On October 17, 1987, Homolka, then 17, met Bernardo, who was 23, at a hotel restaurant. Their relationship soon became sexual. They would maintain a relationship until 1994, when Homolka divorced Bernardo and began testifying against him. It was later determined that Bernardo had already raped several girls in Scarborough, a Toronto suburb, by the time of their meeting.

On December 23, 1990, Homolka stole the animal anesthetic, Halothane, from the veterinary clinic where she worked. Together she and Bernardo administered it to her fifteen-year-old sister Tammy Lyn Homolka along with a mixture of alcohol and halcion. They raped Tammy in the basement of the Homolka family home while she was unconscious. The official cause of death was attributed to the girl having choked to death on her own vomit. Her death was ruled an accident.

After Homolka and Bernardo were engaged, they rented a house in the quiet suburb of Port Dalhousie. On June 15, 1991 Bernardo—while stealing license plates to aid in his cigarette smuggling scheme—discovered Leslie Erin Mahaffy, who was standing at the door of her home because she had been locked out. The two spoke for some time and went back to Bernardo's car for a cigarette, at which point he forced her into the car and drove her to his home. There, Homolka and Bernardo held the girl hostage for several days, sexually assaulting her repeatedly. This they recorded on videotape, including one scene where Homolka pretties herself for the camera before raping the girl. Eventually, they killed Mahaffy, and Bernardo cut up her body with a circular saw in a makeshift plastic tent in the basement of the Homolka/Bernardo home—he would then pass the body parts to Karla who would wash them and prepare them for immersion in concrete. On June 29, a couple canoeing on a lake at the edge of the city of St. Catharines found parts of Mahaffy's body in shallow water, encased in cement. On the same day that the girl's body was found, Karla Homolka was married in a lavish ceremony, resplendent in an all-white wedding dress and riding with her husband in a horse-drawn carriage at Niagara-on-the-Lake.

On April 16, 1992, the couple drove into a church parking lot. Homolka stepped out of the car with a map pretending to be lost and asking for help from 15-year-old Kristen Dawn French. Bernardo approached from behind and used a knife to force French into the back seat of the car (a piece of the map, one of French's shoes and some of her hair were all later found at the crime scene). They brought French to their home where for several days they sexually assaulted, abused, and tortured her. They killed her just before going to Easter Sunday dinner at Homolka's parents' home. On April 30, her body was found in a ditch in the city of Burlington, Ontario.

Homolka left her husband in 1993 after he beat her so badly that she was hospitalized. The attending ER physician called her injuries "the worst case of wife assault I have seen." Homolka had been left with two black eyes and a hemorrhage in the left eye from strikes to the back of her head which drove the brain forward into her skull. She suffered a contusion to the forehead, bruises down the side of her neck and along her arms, bruises and swelling to 75% of her legs from the mid-thigh down and a puncture wound from a screwdriver on her right thigh above the knee.

The couple was eventually arrested. Homolka and her attorney discussed using the "abused spouse" defense and had dismissed it as impossible. They were then surprised when the Canadian Crown suggested that perhaps Karla was an abused spouse and that they would give her a plea bargain based upon that premise if she could testify against her husband. In exchange for her testimony against her husband the Crown gave her a ten-year prison sentence for two counts of manslaughter. After the plea bargain had been confirmed, and Homolka had begun her sentence, the videotapes were discovered and the full extent of her involvement and participation was revealed. Nevertheless, the plea-bargain protected Homolka from further prosecution. Her sister Tammy's body was exhumed by court order and, based on the evidence derived from the new autopsy, Bernardo was tried and convicted of Tammy's murder. Karla's Plea bargain was updated with what the Crown called "Two for Tammy", adding two years to her ten-year sentence making it an over-all twelve-year sentence for two counts of manslaughter.

One particularly controversial aspect of Homolka's plea deal was the Crown's belief that she was a "compliant victim," the justification of which came largely from an FBI document titled Compliant Victims of the Sexual Sadist [1].

It is almost certain that Bernardo and Homolka had other victims; a newspaper clipping found in Bernardo's home while the police executed search warrants, described a violent rape that occured in Hawaii during the couple's honeymoon there. It is widely accepted by law enforcement on both sides of the border that Bernardo was responsible for this rape, but due to extradition issues, this rape was never prosecuted. The fact that they had cut out this article, that the rape itself followed Bernardo's modus operandi and that it occurred when the Bernardos were vacationing in Hawaii have all led police and those who follow the story to speculate that it may be related.

While Robert Baltovich was convicted for the 1990 abduction and murder of 22-year-old Scarbourough resident Elizabeth Bain, his attorneys now contend that Bernardo was in fact responsible for her death. Canadian Television continues to cover this story extensively. Witnesses testified about seeing Bain with a blond man in the days before she vanished. There are numerous other links between Bernardo and Bain, but a Canadian publication ban stands in the way of much of the information getting into the public domain. Regardless, on December 2nd, 2004, the Ontario Court of Appeals set aside Baltovich's conviction and ordered a new trial given some of this evidence. In 1998, author Derek Finkle published the book No Claim to Mercy, which presented evidence tying Bernardo to Bain's murder.

During her imprisonment Homolka received psychological evaluations from at least seven different psychologists who all agreed that she exhibited the symptoms of "severe clinical depression, battered spousal syndrome and post traumatic stress disorder," all of which she has been treated for while in prison.

The parole board that reviewed Homolka's case in 2001 referred to her as a psychopath, but these were not trained psychiatric professionals. None of the psychologists and psychiatrists who have examined her personally have diagnosed her as a psychopath although the term has been widely used. Those professionals that have used the term relied upon interview transcripts, case reports, video documentation, and newspaper articles as the basis of their diagnosis. Dr. Sharon Williams, an expert on incarcerated sex offenders and psychopaths, who evaluated her between 1996 and 1999, concluded that Karla Homolka was not a psychopath, and not likely to reoffend. In 2005, during Homolka's 810.2 release hearing, psychiatrist Louis Morrisette said the 35-year-old did not represent a threat to society and was not a psychopath.

Homolka participated in every treatment program recommended by prison authorities, until she was asked to participate in a program that had been designed for male sexual offenders. She refused, on the grounds that she was neither male nor a convicted sexual offender. She did however take courses such as "Improving Your Inner Self", "Anger Management", "Survivors of Abuse and Trauma", and many more. She also earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Queen's University, and achieved very high grades.

At one point, a released inmate leaked photos which showed Homolka at a birthday party. Since Homolka was, at that time, being held in the medium-security Joliette Institution for Women, such birthday parties were common. When the photos were published, the resulting fuss led to Homolka being placed in solitary confinement. It is not clear that the pictures show Homolka's own birthday party portrayed in the pictures. Such a party for a Joliette inmate is not unique.

Homolka has expressed remorse for her crimes; most notably to her family in a letter to them regarding the death of her sister Tammy, and to the doctors treating her throughout the years. In letters to one of her previous psychiatrists, she described at length the continuing nightmares she had about the two murdered girls. Whether this remorse is genuine or feigned cannot be reliably determined.

On March 15, 1996 the "Galligan Report", also known as "Report to the Attorney General of Ontario on Certain Matters Relating to Karla Homolka," was delivered to Attorney General Charles Harnick. This report concluded that the plea bargain with Homolka was legitimate and "driven by sheer necessity."

On September 22, 2000, the Montreal Gazette published an article on Homolka's prison life which gave the impression that Homolka was in a lesbian relationship with convicted child-rapist Christina Sherry. The article was accompanied by a photo of Homolka and Sherry together, which reinforced this particular misconception. In fact, Homolka's lesbian relationship was with Lynda Verroneau, who had been convicted of participating in a bank robbery. The independently wealthy Lynda Verroneau later sold pictures and stories to the media claiming that Karla had pretended to be her lover in order to get lingerie and a computer.

In January 2003 the Toronto Sun published a series of pictures of Homolka in The Joliette Institution, where she was imprisoned. These pictures showed Homolka, apparently at ease, sunbathing, playing with a cat, and on a swingset, among others. At the time, these pictures caused an uproar among the Canadian public. On April 09, 2005 the paper published a story about a supposed "Internet Frenzy" about Karla Homolka. While web pages about Karla Homolka come and go, Karla Homolka Fan remains the only fan-site.

Homolka's release date is July 4, 2005. On May 5, the Global Television Network reported that her father stated that she is planning to live in the Montreal district of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. Due to the ensuing clamour, Homolka declared that she would choose another district, still in Montreal. On May 29, CBC reported that she chose Karla Leanne Teale as her new official name.

On June 3, 2005, after a two day hearing, Judge Jean Beaulieu ruled that Karla Homolka, upon her release on July 4, 2005 would still pose a risk to the public-at-large. As a result, using section 810.2 of the Canadian Criminal Code, the following restrictions were placed on Karla Homolka as a condition of her release:

1. She is to tell police her home address, work address and who she lives with.
2. She has to notify police as soon as any of the above changes.
3. She will also have to notify police of any change to her name.
4. If she wants to be away from her home for more than 48 hours, she will have to give 72 hours notice.
5. She cannot contact Paul Bernardo, the families of Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French or that of the woman known as Jane Doe (see below). She also may not contact any violent criminals.
6. She also will be forbidden from being with people under the age of 16 and from consuming drugs other than prescription medicine.
7. Continue therapy and counselling.
8. Provide police with a DNA sample.

There is a penalty of a maximum two year prison term for violating such an order. While this may help reasure the public that Homolka will not offend again, it may also be beneficial to her, because her high profile and public hostility may endanger her upon release. A judge must approve an application under Section 810.2 and although initial approval went easily, it must be re-submitted each and every year going forward. It is unclear how long this would continue to be approved by a judge, or requested by the Crown.

On Friday, June 10, 2005, a 71-year-old Liberal Senator Michel Biron in Canada has declared the conditions placed on Homolka as "Totalitarian" according an interview with CTV Newsnet. Conservative Deputy Leader Peter MacKay called this "moral support" for Homolka "repugnant", and other members of government are now asking for Biron's resignation.

Homolka has filed a request in the Quebec Superior Court for a wide-ranging injunction aimed at preventing the press from reporting about her following her release.

The Société Elizabeth Fry du Québec has offered its services to Homolka.

The Tapes

After more than 60 days of searching the Bernardo home for the video tapes that Bernardo and Homolka recorded, police were only able to find a tape containing Bernardo, Homolka and an un-named American prostitute, and a very short videotaped segment of Homolka apparently raping an unconscious girl who could not be identified from the segment. The unidentified girl would later be called "Jane Doe" after the discovery of the full tapes in which her identity was revealed to be that of a minor. Her true identity remains covered by the Publication Ban.

After the expiration of the search warrants, the property being searched reverted back to the ownership of Homolka and Bernardo. Bernardo provided his attorney, Ken Murray with detailed instructions on where to find the six videotapes that depicted the rapes of Tammy Lyn Homolka, Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy. The tapes were hidden in a pot-light in an upstairs bathroom.

Murray, feeling that the tapes could help prove that Homolka was not as innocent as she and the Crown were insisting, held on to the tapes and did not turn them over to authorities. Murray felt that the tapes would help in mitigating the actions of his client. As time passed, he began to feel that he had made a mistake in not disclosing the videotapes. Murray resigned as Bernardo's lawyer and turned over the videotapes to John Rosen who would become Bernardo's new attorney.

The videotapes were shown to Homolka as part of her testimony against Paul Bernardo, with her providing police with a play-by-play commentary on what was happening. Her reactions and her viewing of the videotapes were, themselves, videotaped.

In 1997 Ken Murray was charged with obstruction of justice and possession of child pornography for not turning over the videotapes upon their immediate discovery. He was acquitted in June 2000.

In December, 2001, Canadian authorities determined that there was no possible future use of the videotapes. The six videotapes depicting the torture and rape of Bernardo and Homolka's victims were destroyed. The disposition of the tapes of Homolka watching and commenting on the tapes remains sealed.

Stephen Williams indicated in his book, Invisible Darkness that the tapes may still be available in some "underground circles" at very high prices. Although this seems sensational, there may be some truth to it. Stephen Williams himself has sold some segments of video to Home Box Office for use in their program "Autopsy". Home Box Office did air very short segments of the rape of Tammy Lyn Homolka during their program "Autopsy 8". On May 4, 2003 Williams was arrested for numerous charges, including the publication of courtroom exhibits used in the trials.

Although these tapes have been described as snuff films, this description is not strictly accurate. The videotapes do not show any deaths; they show violent crimes and the infliction of injuries that ultimately caused one death but no moment of death was pictured.

Prosecutors had an opportunity to "break the deal" and charge Homolka with additional crimes for a period of 8 months between the finding of the tapes and the agreement not to charge her with additional crimes. The police were in possession of the tapes in September 1994, although the "deal" had been signed in 1993 (and they had been working under a verbal agreement of the deal long before that) they were still able to prosecute her for "Jane Doe", and for lies that they uncovered in her earlier testimony. An absolute deal-breaker was lying during her interviews with prosecutors. Stephen Williams published memos where the Crown discussed these lies amongst themselves, indicating that the Crown was fully aware that Karla had lied during her interviews with prosecutors.

Officials agreed not to prosecute her for the "Jane Doe" incidents, and they chose not to break the deal with Homolka on May 18, 1995. That decision was final.

Without Homolka's cooperation it is possible that the Crown could not have successfully prosecuted Paul Bernardo nor would they have obtained the tapes themselves.

http://tinyurl.com/bc8zr

I can't bear to read all the details. It makes me physically ill. Let me just say that I do not condone vigilante justice. However, I would shed no tears if something happened to this piece of filth.

Is there any guarantee Bernardo will never get out of prison? I know he was sentenced to life but is it possible there would be a situation, as there is in the US, where some criminal coddling judge would declare there is too much overcrowding and he should be released? Yet another reason scum like this should get death.

Seems to be another one of these cases in which the real story and what you read in the media are two different worlds.

In this television image, Karla Homolka is interviewed in Montreal, after her release from prison on Monday. (CP/Radio-Canada)

"I don't want to be hunted down," said Homolka, who looked drawn, weary and nothing like the giddy young woman Canadians came to know via clips of personal videotapes broadcast over the years.

"I don't want people to think I am someone who is dangerous who will do something to their children."

She said she often cries and is filled with remorse for her black past with ex-husband Paul Bernardo, with whom she participated in the rape, torture and murder of two Ontario schoolgirls, as well as the drug-rape death of Homolka's own 15-year-old sister Tammy.

"I think of what I've done and then often I think I don't deserve to be happy because of this," she said.

"I think I never will be really free," she said during the interview, conducted entirely in French.

"There are different prisons. There are prisons of stone and there are interior prisons. I think I will always be in an interior prison."

>Is there any guarantee Bernardo will never get out of prison?

There are no guarantees in this life. An earthquake or asteroid impact could level the prison leaving a clear path out for Bernardo.

Paul Bernardo should be burned at the stake on general principles. Homolka on the other hand is mainly another victim.

Danson says the families of teenagers Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French thought all photographs and videotapes of the crimes had been destroyed more than a year ago.

"The Mahaffy and French families plead, plead with the owners of every bookstore in Canada and elsewhere to voluntarily remove Mr. Williams' book from their bookshelves," he said.

Karla Homolka didn't have to show anybody what she now looks like. I seriously doubt any more than one out of a thousand people would have recognized her from earlier pictures or memories. That would be using age as a disguise the same way Carlos Hathcock spoke of using distance as a silencer (for sniper rifles).

The interview sounds to me like a straight up attempt to level with the Canadian people.

The thing which I find disgusting about this one is that freepers are usually the world's best at seeing and reading through media bullshit. Nonetheless a number of them seem to be perfectly happy with swallowing the Toronto Sun's version of this thing, which is garbage.

Recently...

Then...

Pretty hard to tell a psychopath by looking at him, isn't it. The hell of it is that Bernardo now looks like something from a horror film, so apparently the mask falls off after a while.

Robert Hare (Without Conscience) says that psychopaths leave trails of destruction and ruined and shattered lives in their wake. In this guys (Bernardo's) case, you've got a couple dozen rape victims, at least three and probvably more like a half dozen dead bodies, one guy (Baltovich) having sat in prison for nearly a decade for something he clearly knows nothing about, and this 35 yerar old just now getting out of slam after 12 years for things she most likely did while brainwashed.

Hare says that psychopaths are born and not made, that there's no cure, that it's real obvious at a very early age, and that virtually all parents of psychopathic children would be happy to hand them over to government agencies to be put on some island at age six or eight.

Looking at the carnage from this particular story, I'd just about be happy to see psychopaths brand with a capital P on their foreheads at age ten so that the rest of can have an easier time avoiding them.

"They let her out?

After what she did to her little sister?"

yeah, but what I find mind boggling is that her family took her in after what she did to the sister, killed her that is, for any who do not know.

I only have one kid, but if I had more and one killed another the killer would NOT be permitted in my home again. Not ever, not for a NY minute. Live on the street, and die in the gutter insofar as I'd be concerned.

"I think I will always be in an interior prison."

I don't normally condone suicide, but I do in some cases. Cases like this. Hey Karla, do the honorable thing, cut your throat and die. We'll ALL feel better.