Canada - Woman killed in arson fire, Ontario, 9 Jan 2001

Casshew

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He killed his wife in cold blood, setting their house on fire while she soaked in the bathtub, so he could collect on the insurance and live happily ever after with his mistress.

We'd love to tell you his name -- but we are not allowed.

The mother of his three young children died a horrible death by smoke inhalation because he poured gasoline along all her escape routes that morning, blocking every path to a door with flames. We think her name should be known.

We can't tell you that, either.

By order of the court, her killer may be the only adult convicted murderer in Canada who is allowed to keep his identity secret. He could conceivably be released from prison one day -- he was sentenced to life in prison and the faint hope clause could see him free in less than 15 years -- with no one knowing he was a killer.

A publication ban on his family surname was first imposed during his trial and extended after his conviction last May to protect the couple's three young children.

I think it's bad law, with all due respect to the judge who ordered it," argues Marc-Andre Blanchard, president of Ad Idem, Advocates in Defence of Expression in the Media. "I think it's unacceptable."

"Under the relatively new Section 486(4.1) of the Criminal Code, judges have the discretion to order that "the identity of a victim or witness or any information that could disclose their identity shall not be published."

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Toronto/Michele_Mandel/2004/04/18/426807.html
 
Now that is a rotten law, an un-just ruling. The children have so much more to overcome, their last name is the least of it.
 
How stupid is this??

Those kids can change their last name. Westerfield's kids did. They probably would WANT to change it if they are old enough to know what he did to their mother. If they are adopted by a maternal relative, or foster couple, their name would likely change anyway.

But if this guy gets out in 15 years... any woman who is an older single, and may believe he is something that he isn't, is in very real danger. I know I have seen at least six cases (ones I can think of off the top of my head as I type this, so I'm sure there are more), on television, of both women and men who have killed more than one spouse because the first time they got away with it! I find it mind boggling that these people often choose the identical way, or a very similar way, to kill a second spouse. This man didn't actually get away with it, but this judge's ruling essentially evens the playing field of this monster with the monsters who didn't get caught. Absurd!
 
Babcat said:
How stupid is this??

Those kids can change their last name. Westerfield's kids did. They probably would WANT to change it if they are old enough to know what he did to their mother. If they are adopted by a maternal relative, or foster couple, their name would likely change anyway.


Bab's........agree with what you said, deleted all but this.......just posting to ask........do you know that Westerfield's kids changed their name? ?

xxxxxxxxxo
mama
 
Love_Mama said:
Bab's........agree with what you said, deleted all but this.......just posting to ask........do you know that Westerfield's kids changed their name? ?

xxxxxxxxxo
mama

love_mama,

I read that somewhere in the news as well. I think they both use West now.
 

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