MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2007
More On Expo 67
A reader is correct, the Expo theme music was not Bob Gimby's Ca-Na-Da, but "Un Jour, un jour" by Michele Richard:
This song about Ontario was impossible to erase from your mind, it played constantly:
A great clip on Quebec's Quiet Revolution and De Gaulle's faux-pas at the 67 Expo: "Vive Montréal... Vive le Québec ...Vive le Québec Libre!", the French went nuts":
This clip has the entire Gimby song followed by a heartbreaking report of what became of Man-and-his-World:
FYI: The "Science and Technology Centre" was not to be, instead it became a casino.
In later years fire destroyed the beautiful Ameican pavilion:
Finally, a nice little "Canadian Fact" about the constrution of Ile Notre Dame:
The project cost millions, and was a success for Mayor Drapeau. This would not be the case 9 years later with the Summer Olympics.
Tories New Ombudsman = Zero-Sum Gain for Victims?
The Honourable Robert Douglas Nicholson
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
284 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1A 0H8
Honourable Member Nicholson:
Forgive me for seeming ungrateful, But it's this business of the new victims ombudsman...
On paper it looks great: you create a new Federal Ombudsman position in Ottawa to deal with a steady growing number of problems for victims of crime in Canada. The initiative will pump $53 million into resolving victims issues over the next four years.
The Mandate as you state it is as follows:
"facilitating access of victims to existing federal programs and services by providing them with information and referrals."
Sorry, but isn't the Policy Centre for Victims Issues already doing this?
"addressing complaints of victims about compliance with the provisions of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act that apply to victims of offenders under federal supervision and providing an independent resource for those victims"
Ok, this is good... except for provinces like Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia who have their own Provincial Corrections and Parole divisions.
"enhancing awareness among criminal justice personnel and policy makers of the needs and concerns of victims and the applicable laws that benefit victims of crime, including to promote the principles set out in the Canadian Statement of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime; and "
Ok, again, very good, but aren't Justice personnel already sensitive to victims issues?
Back to that $53 million... Only 9% will actually go the the Federal Ombudsman, the remaining 91% goes to Justice, Corrections and Parole: aren't they already doing enough for victims?
For the Ombudsman's office, that breaks out to $1.5 million per year;Coosh, but is that enough to really make an impact for victims in Canada?
And about the appointed Ombudsman (I will refrain from any criticisms about a language barrier; I apologise for any former remarks), but Steve Sullivan is one of our own. Mr. Sullivan is the former president of the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime. The CRCVC's mandate is to:
- To assist victims of crime and their families in dealing with the sentence administration or parole authorities to ensure that they are kept informed, if they so choose, of actions which affect their future safety and well being
- To, where appropriate and authorized by law, appear with victims of crime and their families and assist them in securing legal counsel at hearings in which they may participate as victims of crime
- To act as a resource centre for victims by providing understanding and knowledge of the Canadian Criminal Justice System
- To actively present the interests and perspectives of victims of crime to Government, at all levels, and its various agencies
- To generally promote the interests of public safety through the principles of openness and accountability within the Criminal Justice System and the Sentence Administration Process
To advocate on behalf of crime victims and assist them in obtaining needed services and resources
- To act as a centre of information addressing the issues affecting victims of crime throughout Canada
- To promote and enhance the interaction and exchange of information and perspectives among other agencies and groups within the Canadian Criminal Justice System
- To assist victims in obtaining and understanding information on offenders
- To assist victims in understanding the parole process, and to attend parole hearings with or on behalf of the victims
- access to government programs and services and will also research victims' issues.
Excuse me, but aren't these the same mandates of your new Federal Ombudsman? (actually, I'm sure you'll agree, those, and a whole lot more!)
What's more, it's believed that with the departure of Mr. Sullivan theCRCVC will actually fold, so aren't victims - in effect - losing ground in their struggle to achieve basic human rights?
One last thing. For the past four years I have been sending annual Canada Day letters to the Minister of Justice inquiring as to the laws, rules, policies governing evidence retention in Canada. The list ofrecipients is long including former ministers, Irwin Cotler, AnneMcLellan, and Vic Toews.
I have never received an answer to my question about evidence from any Justice Minister.
This year, do you recommend I send the letter to the Federal Ombudsman in lieu of taking up your valuable time?
Again, really sorry for the disruption.
Signed,
Another Grateful Canadian,
John Allore
www.whokilledtheresa.blogspot.com
SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2007
On the 40th anniversary of the Montreal world's fair of 1967 the Gazette has asked for reminiscences. Wow... there's so much I remember and I was only 3-years-old at the time. I think Expo must have been some of my first memories.
I still have an Official Guide from the event (it cost $1.00 at the time) and it includes many interesting bromides. For instance,
"Montreal is the banking and the financial center of Canada. It is the headquarters for two of the country's three principal banks and the country's most important insurance company. Here also are based some of the most important organizations engaged in exploiting Canada's natural resources."
Enjoy it while you can! Oh well...
My father was an engineer on the assembly of many of the pavilions, including the German, French and Japanese buildings, and Habitat. This garnered him a free pass for the duration of the fair.
We went many times as a family. I remember vague things; pulling into the American pavilion on the monorail, watching the fireworks at night, eating some Jamaican-flavored food (meat on a stick).
Expo guide with a small vinyl bag my mother bought for me
Mostly it was my father who went. While my mother stayed at home watching me and my brother, Dad took Theresa (then 8) to enjoy the evening festivities.
I know that feeling. My eldest daughter has an adventurous spirit. It is always wonderful to go on an outing with her. How that must have been with Theresa at the helm. She made every moment a party.
Expo 67 commenced 40 years ago today, April 28th, 1967, and ended four months later, October 27th, 1967.
What are your memories?
SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2007
Problem of unilingual ombudsman isn't going away
I've been mulling this issue of Ottawa's new Federal Ombudsman not being able to speak French. I believe the problem is bigger than I first considered. Apparently others in the country agree as both an MP from New Brunswick and a member of Quebec's opposition party have weighed in on the subject.
While not agreeing with Yvon Godin that the appointment is "immoral", I do believe it seriously compromises the interests of 25% of the Nations victims, if not more.
The strongest voice in this debate thus far has been Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, leader of Quebec's victims association. AFPAD. The ranks of the association's membership has swelled recently to 350 victims of murder (or missing persons), making it the largest association of its kind in Canada.
Think about it; the largest victims group in the country does not have access to its national Ombudsman.
One could argue that some of those victims are anglophones. This point is irrelevant. In using myself as an example in the case of my sister's murder in Quebec, yes, my mother-tongue is English, but dealing with the bureaucracy of agencies in Quebec made it necessary for me to at the least have rudimentary reading, writing and speaking knowledge of French. The same is true for the Federal Ombudsman. An anglo from Quebec could come to the Ombudsman with a problem concerning a victim. In order for the Ombudsman to address the problem they would have to possess the knowledge and capacity to ask questions and get answers from Quebec agencies - who all speak French.
Currently Quebec is in dire need of a Federal Victims Ombudsman, there are issues concerning early parole, mental health, police accountability that could all use assistance at the Federal level, but the person appointed by the government to lend aid to this issues is useless to their resolution because he doesn't speak the language.
Perhaps a compromise could be reached. AFPAD, could work in conjunction with the Ombudsman to ensure the effective communication between parties. Workable, but impractical; you would have, in effect, AFPAD doing the Federal Ombudsman's job.
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson has told critics that the Ombudsman will improve his French and has been given the necessary resources to do it. Maybe. But the horse is already out of the barn. This should have been a condition before any agreement was made. Rather French proficiency should now be made a condition of the Ombudsman's performance evaluation. At the end of one year, test the Ombudsman's French; If the country's French membership do not feel it is up to par, then he should be replaced.
-------------------
MP decries hiring of unilingual ombudsman
Apr 27, 2007 09:34 PM
Karine Fortin
Canadian press
OTTAWA – A New Democrat MP says the appointment of a unilingual anglophone to a federal ombudsman's office is illegal.
New Brunswick MP Yvon Godin said Friday the hiring of Steve Sullivan, the first federal ombudsman for victims of crime, violates public employment laws.
The Acadie-Bathurst MP also said Sullivan's hiring is "immoral" because he can't represent francophones adequately.
"The victims will finally have an ombudsman to file a complaint, but the entire Canadian francophone community can't speak to him," said Godin.
"It doesn't make any sense, absolutely no sense."
He said francophones are already poorly served by the system.
Godin wrote to the prime minister and filed a complaint with the official languages commissioner, Graham Fraser.
Sullivan, a longtime advocate of victims' rights, was appointed on Monday.
He is the former director of research with Victims of Violence and a former president of the Canadian Research Centre for Victims of Crime.
Godin, meanwhile, is not alone in decrying Sullivan's unilingualism.
Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu of the Murdered or Missing Persons' Families' Association said services for francophones have not been improved with Sullivan's hiring.
Bloc Quebecois MP Real Menard said he has no doubts about Sullivan's "competence and compassion," but believes the ombudsman's nomination is "inadmissible" because of his lack of functional French.
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson told critics Sullivan will improve his French and has been given the necessary resources to do it.
Meanwhile, languages commission spokesman Robin Cantin confirmed Godin's complaint was received Friday.
The commission will evaluate it over the coming weeks to determine if a deeper investigation is necessary, he said.
In addition to his complaint, Godin sent a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper in which he explained his amazement over learning who the new ombudsman is.
The federal office of the ombudsman for victims of crime was created by the Conservative government in March.
It has a budget of $52 million over four years and a mandate to guide victims of criminal acts through available support programs.
FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2007
Go Ducks.
I've just been informed that I am this year's recipient of theGovernment Finance Officers Association George A. Nielsen Public Investor Scholarship to go toward my studies at North Carolina State University.
"The Public Investor Scholarship is awarded to an employee of a local government or other public entity who is enrolled or plans to enroll in an undergraduate or graduate program in public administration, finance, business administration, or related field. The purpose of the Public Investor Scholarship is to support the studies of full- or part-time undergraduate or graduate students with career interests in the efficient and productive investment of public funds. "
The prize includes an all expenses paid trip to Anaheim, California to the GFOA's annual conference in June.
Friday, April 27th, 1979
With his investigation in jeopardy, Gaudreault now begins to pin his hopes on the Pathologist’s final conclusions. Undoubtedly the toxicological report will give final proof that drugs were the culprit in this affair.
At the end of the week, on Friday, April 27th Pathologist, Teresa Sourour, releases her final report on the medical legal conclusions of Theresa Allore’s autopsy. Sourour reports that the state of advanced putrefaction and extensive adipocere, along with the absence of visible signs of traumatic violence make it difficult to determine the cause of death.
She also states that pathologically, there is nothing to suggest a natural death, and that the death could go back a few months. In conclusion she states that the cause of death remains undetermined.
On that same day, Micheline Rousseau, a chemical analyst with the Laboratoire de Police Scientifique releases the results of the toxicological analysis. The results are inconclusive. They cannot detect the presence of drugs in the internal organs of Theresa Allore.
MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2007
Storm Brewin'
Not so fast Feds! Not long after Steve Sullivan was appointed Canada's first crime victims obudsman, Pierre Boisvenu cries fowl because Stevo doesn't speak French!
Une Tempete dans la théière?
Stay tuned. But on the QT, I've sat down to drinks with these guys, they're friends... now Steve, play nice and learn the language.
And a big 'Atta-boy to Steve Sullivan!
Crime victim ombud appointed
Janice Tibbetts, CanWest News Service
Published: Monday, April 23, 2007OTTAWA - The Conservative government has appointed a longtime victims’ advocate as the first federal ombudsman for victims of crime, a national office that will look out for the their interests in the justice system.
Steve Sullivan, who has been president of the National Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for nine, years, will oversee the new victims’ initiative for a three-year term.
“The ombudsman will promote the concerns of victims, and ensure that victims can gain access to federal services and programs,” Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said Monday in a speech marking National Victims of Crime Awareness Week.
“I believe it is entirely appropriate that our justice system evolve to better meet the needs of victims.”
Federal prisoners already have a federally appointed ombudsman to vet their complaints, but crime victims have not had a similar advocate.
The appointment of a victim’s ombudsman was a Conservative federal election promise.
The new ombudsman’s office is part of the government’s $52-million commitment over four years to increase services for crime victims.
“For example, the money will help expand the resources available to victims who choose to attend parole hearings, it will help to offset the costs of traveling to sentencing hearings, and it will improve the availability of victims’ services in the North,” Nicholson said.
He noted that Sullivan has done extensive research on victim related issues including access to information for families of unsolved homicide and victims of terrorism. He has also conducted training sessions on victims for staff at the National Parole Board and Correctional Service of Canada.
The ombudsman will be responsible for helping victims tap into existing federal programs for crime victims, promote the needs of victims within the justice system and government, review complaints and identify emerging victims’ issues.
The ombudsman can also issue reports, along with recommendations, to the ministers of justice or public safety, and request a government response.
April 23, 1979
On Monday, April 23rd, the results of the dental analysis prove without a doubt that the body found in the pond near Compton is that of Theresa Allore. As the week commences, Detective Gaudreault and Constable Lessard continue their investigation. By now, Gaudreault has formed the opinion that this is not a sex crime. Also, Gaudreault releases a statement to the French media that a former hypothesis that the girl committed suicide has been rejected.
Slowly Gaudreault begins to embrace the theory of a drug overdose. Clearly, he thinks, given the lifestyle at Compton - and the girl’s history - drugs are the cause of this death. And somehow students are involved. Over the course of four days, from Monday, April 23th through Thursday, April 26th, Gaudreault and Lessard interview over 90 students living at King’s Hall, Compton. The interrogations lead nowhere. Gaudreault and Lessard do not find a smoking gun. The information gained is a litany of rumors, half-truths and innuendo:
I went to her room to see if her Chemistry homework was done, she wasn’t there.
Theresa would hitchhike from Compton to Lennoxville. I never heard anything special about her disappearance, I know nothing else.
I was her roommate, I saw her smoke pot once.
She usually worked in the library until late.
Occasionally she took drugs, she did not take chemicals.
I was in my room with Dave Vick and Brian Condon, we had some beer and acid.
I know nothing.
She hitchhiked.
I knew her by sight.
I heard it said that she had gone to the States.
I didn’t know her.
I knew her a little bit.
I know she was hitchhiking often.
I own a gray 1978 Omni.
I was at my home that weekend.
I don’t know her.
I know nothing.
She was in my class, I heard she was in the States.
I heard she was in the States, I heard it more than once.
I saw her that Friday night going in the kitchen.
I own a car, a Ford Torino.
I never saw her hitchhiking.
I knew Theresa well.
I never heard a story about students on drugs that Friday night.
I knew her brother, I didn’t know her.
I heard that she went out West to meet her boyfriend.
I don’t own a car.
I was away that weekend. I don’t own a car.
I never knew the girl.
She hitchhiked.
I don’t hitchhike.
I hitchhike only with my boyfriend.
I have never hitchhiked from Lennoxville to Compton.
She never was into drugs.
She hitchhiked alone.
I hitchhiked, I had no problems.
I hitchhiked, but I was never bothered.
To my knowledge she didn’t use dope.
I heard she was in Florida.
I own a car, but it’s at home.
I met her at a Halloween dance.
I would see her in the library.
I own a green 1974 Ford Thunderbird.
Some students use drugs sometimes.
I don’t know.
I knew her a little.
I didn’t know her at all.
I knew her fairly well, she wasn’t the type to be on dope.
I remember two boys said to me that they wouldn’t be surprised when the snow went away if she was in the bushes somewhere.
SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2007
Scuzbag Moe named honorary mayor of Abottsford
What is it about this sleepy little B.C. burg that brings out the perv in perv-town?
Been There, Done That
The sisters of 21-year-old Shane Jimrattie, whose body parts where discovered in garbage bags in the back of SUV vehicle in Rosemont, say they had to conduct their own investigation into the disappearance of their brother because police were reluctant to get involved in the case.
"We solved our own crime," Jacynta, 19, told The Montreal Gazette yesterday.
Michel Cote, a 4-year-old carpenter and part-time janitor was charged with second-degree murder and with improperly or indecently treating human remains.
" [The killer] would have taken the garbage bags and buried him somewhere and we would have to wait 10 years, not knowing if he was dead or alive."
Getting my two-cents on this is preaching to the choir (a really small choir in some obscure church in Shawinigan) , you can pretty much guess what I'm going to say in the next paragraph. Here it goes...
Quebec law enforcement - be they SQ, MUC or some other regional outfit - are truly a unique breed. On a one-to-one basis they are much the same as other police; there are good cops, there are bad cops,there are big fat lazy cops that all their resources interviewing 90 college students when they should be looking for killers in their own backyard... but I digress.
On a macro-level I have never quite encountered anything like the stifling bureaucracy of Quebec police who must contend with excessive procedures and official twaddle; in-fighting force-to-force, unit-to-unit, officer-to-officer; systemic redundancy; and an arcane communications system and technology. Pick your weapon of whatever ails any modern corporate institution and the gears of Quebec police's criminal investigative abilities come to a grinding halt.Representatives of Quebec's Minister of Justice and Public Security have been aware of these problems for years but have never been politically motivated to remedy the broken system (my argument is that good old pangs of conscience should be enough to get you off your ass, but that's just me)
It's not that Quebec police are devoid of creative thinkers, rather any idea, any innovation that is generated needs to be reproduced in triplicate and filed with the appropriate parties; wait thirty days and maybe you'll get a response.
Look at Ontario police and you will find them much more nimble in reacting to problems with individual ideas appropriate to the situation. Quebec police are good at some things; the annual labour day speeding ticket rodeo, the province wide drug shakedown, (which I would argue creates more chaos and crime)... the easy fruit.
But one of these days a case is going to come along that will so clearly demonstrate the failings and vulnerabilities of a broken police force that the province will have no choice but to reform itself. Until then, we wait.
FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2007
Friday, November 20th, 1979
“This morning around 8:10 or 8:15 I left my house and got on my tractor and headed toward Lennoxville near route 143. About 400 feet from my house I saw an object just to the side of the road. I got of the tractor and traveled on foot to see what the object was. At that moment I could see that it was a wallet. I took it in my hands to see if there was an identification card inside. When I saw the first piece of id, I saw the name, Theresa Allore. I got on my tractor and returned to my house.”
Signature of person making declaration: M. V.
Declared before me at RR #2, Lennox this 20 day of Apvril 19 79
Witness: Guy Lessard
------------------------------------------
The wallet was found on Chemin MacDonald, a back road on the outskirts of Sherbrooke, approximately one mile from Lennoxville and ten miles from the site where the body was found. It contained a photo id card of Theresa Allore, a library card bearing her name, and some papers. The wallet was given to investigators Gauldreault and Lessard by the farmer, M. V.
On the evening of Friday, April 20th, Campus Director William Matson meets with the Board of Governors of Champlain College. Present are members from Champlain-St. Lambert and Champlain-Longueuil, The Director General, Jean Marie Bergman, and six representatives from Champlain-Lennoxville, including student representatives Judy Bartok and Charles Campbell, a parent representative, and Faculty members Jim Napier and Pierre Sallenave.
Dr. Matson thanks the membership for welcoming him back after his spleen operation. In his report he notifies the Board that he is pleased to announce the appointment of Miss Jeanne Eddisford to the Professional Staff as Coordinator of Student Housing Services. He informs the Board that Miss Eddisford previously served as the Acting Director of Residence for Compton, after the previous director resigned in January.
Matson also informs the Board that the construction of the new 315-bed residence is proceeding well, and that the buildings will be ready for occupancy well before the start of classes next Fall. Matson points out that the demand for rooms is high, with over 750 requests for applications having been received to occupy the 315 spaces. Shortly after 10:00 pm the meeting adjourns. The subject of Theresa Allore’s death is never mentioned.
THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2007
Thursday, November 19th, 1979
Do solemnly declare that,
"November 3rd, 1978, (Friday), at around 6 pm, I was eating supper at Dewhurst Dining Hall with Suzanne DeRome. I saw Theresa had finished her meal. She was walking toward’s the lobby of the Dining Hall when she saw me. She came to my table sat down and asked whether Suzanne or me was going home for that week-end. When we both replied “no”, Theresa seemed pleased and said that it was good that we were staying because she was staying as well. At that I told her to come and visit me that evening in my room at Gilliard. She said “sure” she would, “but not until around 9 pm”. We then conversed for a few more seconds. Theresa had asked me for a cigarette, so when she left our table I told her that my cigarettes were in the lobby in my coat pocket. She then left our table. As I was sitting on the 6:15 bus, waiting for it to leave Dewhurst to go back to Compton, I vaguely remember seeing Theresa leaving Dewhurst on foot, walking beside the bus. I never saw her again.
And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing it to be true, and knowing that it is of the same force and effect if made under oath, and by virtue of the Canada Evidence Act.
Signature of person making declaration: Josie Stepenhorst
Declared before me at Lennoxville this 19 day of Apvril 19 79
Witness: Guy Lessard
-------------------------------------
Thursday, November 19th, 1979
Do solemnly declare that,
"I knew Theresa Allore quite well although we were not best friends. I was walking through King’s Hall on Friday evening November 3rd. The time was approximately 9 pm. I saw Teresa standing or walking on the stairs (the main staircase) and we both stopped and talked. That weekend Teresa was supposed to be staying at a friends house “Caroline Greenwood”, and because of this I said to Teresa something to this effect, “why didn’t you go to Caroline’s this weekend?”, and she replied with, “I couldn’t, I have too much home work to do.” I asked her what she was doing that night and she said she was going to do her homework. We departed and I think that she went up the stairs, but I did not really notice. I can’t really remember what clothes she was wearing. During the next school week I was sitting eating with some friends in Dewhurst Dining hall. I was sitting with Caroline Greenwood. Andre Allore walked past and Caroline called him and asked him if he had seen Teresa lately, and he said no. I did not know at this time that Teresa had officially disappeared.”
And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing it to be true, and knowing that it is of the same force and effect if made under oath, and by virtue of the Canada Evidence Act."
Signature of person making declaration: Sharon Buzzee
Declared before me at Lennoxville this Jeudi 19ieme day of Apvril 19 79
Witness: Corp Rock Gaudreault
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2007
Well Done
Helen Prioriello-Dawe and her daughter, Terri Prioriello.
Killer denied parole; 'I am so sorry,' teen's torturer says
Frank Armstrong
Local News - Wednesday, April 18, 2007 @ 00:00
The mother of a teenage girl who was raped, tortured and murdered 25 years ago stared down her daughter's killer at a parole hearing yesterday shortly before he lost his bid for freedom. David James Dobson is serving a life sentence with no eligibility of parole for 25 years for the first-degree murder of 17-year-old Darlene Prioriello. Dobson mutilated the Brampton girl's body after raping her, then smashed her head with a brick behind a Mississauga factory on May 6, 1982. He then taunted the Prioriello family, dared police to catch him and pledged to kill again in the same way the following year.
At yesterday's National Parole Board hearing, Dobson, 42, tried to present himself as a very different person from the teenager who appeared to have all the makings of a young serial killer.
He said he had found God and had been reformed for more than 20 years, ever since his mother told him to smarten up.
"My mother said, 'Enough about this. Get yourself straightened out and stop all this sh--,' " he told the three-person parole panel.
Dobson even cried big wracking sobs when Darlene's sister, mother and niece read out statements describing the impact the murder had on the family.
"I am so sorry, I'm so sorry," Dobson gasped and turned toward Darlene's mother, Helen Prioriello-Dawe. It was the only only time he looked at a Prioriello family member during the nearly day-long hearing.
Prioriello-Dawe, who claims her hair instantaneously went grey when she identified her daughter's body in the morgue a quarter-century ago, had shuffled tentatively to the long boardroom table to read her statement and appeared on the verge of tears, but Dobson's words appeared to galvanize her.
"Do you really think I'm buying your act?" she spat back at him. With that retort, she began to tell the panel about Darlene, a high school student who always took the time to tell people she loved them.
A tomboy, Darlene was determined to become an electrician despite ridicule from classmates who teased her about being the only female electrical student.
"I asked her if she could get past the teasing and she replied, 'Yes, mom, they're not going to stop me. This is what I want to do and I'm going to do it,' " recalled Prioriello. "But David Dobson sure stopped her. He stopped her."
Prioriello-Dawe recalled how Darlene had used her allowance money to buy a new pair of jeans for a friend who had no money and how she would bring friends home to her mother for supper who were having problems and could use a little extra "Mommy TLC."
Darlene loved sports and played in a steel drum band at school that was planning a trip to Jamaica.
"When she was young, she thought there were monsters hiding. I told her they did not exist, but you sure proved me wrong," Prioriello-Dawe said.
Dobson cried through most of Prioriello-Dawe's statement, occasionally sobbing loudly, his wide shoulders hunched in a too-tight blue suit, his ears burning red.
Prioriello-Dawe's daughter, Terri Prioriello, and niece, Tia Prioriello, also read their own statements in which they begged the parole board to deny Dobson's request for full or day parole.
Terri Prioriello, who has launched a website (www.nofreedomdobson.com) to fight Dobson's release and to campaign for parole hearings to be held every five years instead of every two, reminded Dobson that her family is also serving a life sentence and will never get parole.
"Do life with us and do your sentence of life, so you don't leave us feeling cheated," she said and stared hard at her sister's killer. The six-foot-one man stared at the table in front of him, his head bowed.
Prioriello described how the murder destroyed her family.
She said her father lost all ability to love and care about his children while her mother lost the ability to comfort them into believing that everything would always turn out all right.
"I fear for my life and my family's life upon his release and it is my opinion that I should fear him, as should any other woman on the streets," she said.
In a taunting letter he wrote to police about Darlene's murder, Dobson said he picked Darlene up at a bus stop in Mississauga before he drove her to the factory and raped, tortured and killed her.
In a confession he later gave to police, he said he took Darlene's lighter and gold chain, put it in a zip-lock bag, brought it to a library and instructed staff to give it to police.
He also called employees of the factory where he had killed Darlene and told them there was a bomb in the building, that they would die and that there was a dead girl on the property.
While police were at the scene, Dobson visited them and asked them if they had caught the killer, which led them to watch him. A week later, they pulled him over and found a brick in his vehicle that had some of Darlene's hair and blood on it.
Terri Prioriello said yesterday that Dobson exhibited all the classic signs of a serial killer.
She suggested the brick was kept as a gruesome trophy and she reminded the panel that Dobson had pledged to kill another girl in the same way a year after murdering Darlene. She also cited a Toronto Star article that quoted one of Dobson's sisters saying he used to torture and maim small animals.
"Dolly was his next trophy," Prioriello said.
Dobson argued that he hunted as a youth, that he was supervised by adults and he suggested his actions with animals while hunting had been misconstrued.
He said he hunted groundhogs to help with local pest control and that he may have teased another young person with a dead partridge. He denied that the brick was a trophy and said it was used as a mechanical aid to help the engine turn over.
"The brick was put on the accelerator to get the car going," he said.
He spoke remarkably articulately for a man who never finished high school on the outside.
The board didn't release its full decision for its rejection of Dobson's application, but board vice-chairman Robert Plain said Dobson hurt his case because he failed to make the board understand what led him to commit murder.
"I'm not sure you [understand], either, at this point," Plain said. Dobson argued he's been consumed by his guilt, that he is no longer capable of hurting anyone and he deserves to be released.
"I feel horrible about it. I feel terrible about it. I'm 100-per-cent accountable and my actions have brought all this about," he said. "At the same time, I feel I am deserving of the opportunity to move forward."
Dobson sat motionless after Plain released the board's decision after a short recess.
The Prioriello family shuffled out of the hearing room quietly until they reached the hallway.
"There is a God," Helen Prioriello-Dawe exclaimed with an audible sigh.
Dobson was ushered out of a separate door where he hugged a male, described by parole board staff as a family member, and other supporters before returning to his quarters at medium-security Bath Institution. He has lived there since 2000.
In the prison cafeteria, the Prioriello family also hugged one another as well as a handful of supporters who had attended the hearing.
Among them were Gananoque residents John and Sally Gardner and their daughter Carolyn Gardner who may have to go through the same experience as the Prioriellos next year.
The Gardners' daughter, Sheryl Gardner, a successful 20-year-old Toronto fashion model, was beaten to death with a hammer in 1981 by Bath inmate Ralph Power, who will be up for a parole hearing next year. Power waived his right to a hearing last year.
Carolyn Gardner said her family came to support the Prioriellos, but also to prepare for Power's hearing.
"We know one day we could be doing this exact same thing where we have to face the man who killed Sheryl," she said.
Like the Prioriello family, the Gardners have launched their own website, www.powernoparole.ca, to spread awareness about their daughter's murder.
farmstrong@thewhig.com
Jeanne Eddisford
On the afternoon of Wednesday, April 18th, the Acting Director of Residence for King’s Hall, Jeanne Eddisford, is brought in for questioning. She states that Theresa Allore was a good student, always happy, very intelligent. She mentions that on occasion, students would come to her with confidential matters, but in the matter of Theresa Allore, no one came forward. In her closing remarks, Eddisford flatly states that there has never been a drug problem at Champlain College.
That same afternoon a reporter with the Sherbrooke Record tries to get a statement from Eddisford, but Eddisford refuses to comment on the matter. When asked if the School anticipates making any changes to the scant, 10-a-day shuttle bus service operating between King’s Hall and the Champlain campus, Eddisford replies that no changes are necessary.
In a later article, Bill Matson comments that, “The details of the crime are irrelevant. Theresa’s loss will undoubtedly be mourned by those who knew and will remember her, and by those who are only witnesses to this tragedy.”
TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2007
“The pathologist, because of the state of decomposition, was unable to determine the cause of death. On first glance, there was no sign of bullet holes or physical violence. But more analysis will permit us to make a complete and detailed connection.”
Roch Gaudreault
La Tribune, April 17th, 1979
On the afternoon of Tuesday, April 17th, Caroline Greenwood and Jo Anne Laurie are brought to the Lennoxville police station to be interviewed by the Surete Du Quebec. Greenwood is questioned first. She repeats the same information she had given to Hamel five months earlier - Theresa was her friend, she last saw Theresa on Friday November 3rd at noon, Theresa declined an invitation to join Greenwood for the weekend in Hemmingford. Greenwood makes no mention of the six days that passed before she decided to report Theresa’s disappearance, nor do Gaudreault and Lessard question her about this fact.
Gaudreault asks about Theresa’s drug use. Greenwood states that Theresa had tried marijuana and hashish. When pressed, Greenwood states that she had no knowledge of Theresa using cocaine, though it could have been a possibility. Greenwood is asked to summarize her statement in written form. The statement is signed by Greenwood and witnessed by Constable Lessard.
Jo Anne Laurie is brought in for questioning. Laurie repeats much of the same information given by Greenwood. When asked of Theresa’s drug use, she flatly denies Theresa used drugs. She states that Theresa“got high on life and liked reality better than being stoned”. She states Theresa hitchhiked, but not unnecessarily. Laurie does not comment on her failure to report Theresa missing for over six days. The statement is signed, and witnessed by Constable Lessard.
-----------------------
“The Champlain Regional College community is deeply saddened by the death of Theresa Allore. College officials will cooperate fully with police authorities in their investigation of this tragic event.
To enable our students to recover from this traumatic episode in their lives, the College respectfully requests members of the media to exercise discretion and good judgment in their overall conduct in reporting this incident.”
William Matson
April 17th, 1979
MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2007
Virginia Tech Shootings
Can we wait a few days before we turn this into a gun lobbying pitch? I know of a certain northern neighbor with strong gun legislation and it didn't stop this from happening...
or this...
oh, and this.
On Monday, April 16th, Detective Roch Gaudreault and Constable Guy Lessard begin their investigation into the death of Theresa Allore. They begin by canvassing the residence of the village of Compton. They go door to door asking people if they remember seeing anything suspicious on the night of Friday, November 3rd, 1978. No one can recall seeing anything suspicious. The date is five months in the past. It is hard to remember. They question the owner and occupants of a local bar, Entre Deux, a hangout for the local students at King’s Hall. They too, do not recall anything specific about the night of November 3rd. They track down the bus driver who was on duty the night of Friday November 3rd and show him Theresa Allore’s picture. He does not recall seeing the girl on the bus from Lennoxville to Compton - not on the 6:15 bus, nor on the last bus at 11:30 pm. Gaudreault and Lessard review the statements of Andre Allore, Josie Stepenhorst, Jo Anne Laurie and Caroline Greenwood given to Lennoxville Police Chief Leo Hamel over five months ago. They decide to re-interview Laurie and Greenwood.
SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2007
April 14th, 1979
On the morning of Saturday, April 14th, 1979, a body, believed to be that of Theresa Allore, is transported from the coroner’s office in Sherbrooke, Quebec to the Laboratoire de medicine legale de Montreal. The medical facility is located in the main headquarters of the Surete du Quebec on Parthenais street in the east end of Montreal. Before Mr. Allore arrives, Theresa’s former roommate from Point Claire, Joey Nice is brought to the lab to see if she can make a positive identification on the body. Joey Nice is unable to determine whether the body is that of Theresa. At the same time, Corporal Gaudreault shows Nice the green garbage bag of clothing that was found at the entrance to the Gagnon farm in Compton. Joey Nice states that the women’s clothing does not belong to Theresa.
Mr. Allore - along with his wife and two sons - arrive at the SQ headquarters at 11:30 am. Corporal Gaudreault leads Mr. Allore into the medical lab where the corps lies on a stainless steel table. Mr. Allore observes the earrings. He observes the corpse, which is in an advanced state of decay. He notices a scar on the forehead, similar to one where he accidentally struck his daughter with a snow shovel when she was a little girl. Mr. Allore identifies the earrings as those of Theresa, but he is unable to recognize his daughter.
Corporal Gaudreault gently asks if Mr. Allore if he will permit the examiners to perform a dental analysis. The procedure is gruesome. It will require that they remove the lower jaw and cut out the entire oral cavity. Mr. Allore grants the request. He is escorted from the medical lab. He tells his family that he is almost certain it is their daughter.
The autopsy commences at 12:15 pm under the supervision of Teresa Sourour, pathologist with the Laboratoire de medicine legale. The autopsy is performed by Claude Payette and Normand Boissee. Corporal Gaudreault stands by to observe the autopsy. At Sourour’s request, 2 x-rays are taken, as well as 11 colored pictures of the body. Sourour observes that the body is in a state of putrefaction, or advanced decay. Sourour observes a brassiere, white underpants, and earrings. The items are removed and given to the chief investigator, Corporal Gaudreault.
Sourour observes the body of a young Caucasian woman, 5’7”, weighing 115 lbs, with auburn hair. The body is in an accelerated state of adipocere, making the skin thick and soapy. The skin is macerated. The fingers and toes are missing nails. The hair disengages itself easily. Sourour observes several, old scars on the arms and forehead. She observes that the teeth are natural, and authorizes the removal of the upper and lower maxillaries for dental identification by odontology expert, Dr. Robert Dorion. Sourour observes the absence of visible traces of external traumatic lesions on the body.
Sourour examines the head. There is no trauma to the scalp. There are no fractures to the skull. There are no visible traces of trauma to the mouth, ears or nose. She examines the neck. There are no visible signs of fracture or trauma. Sourour continues to the chest area. There are no lesions to the ribs or collar bone. There are signs of mucous in the trachea and bronchia. The gullet contains “a little vomiting matter”. The lungs show no signs of trauma. Nether does the spine. She exams the abdomen, and observes extensive adipocere. The stomach contains a small mass of solid food, digested or decomposed. The intestines are void of matter. The uterus, ovaries, vagina and external genital organs are “without noticeable particularity”.
Before concluding the autopsy, Sourour authorizes the transportation of the liver, spleen, kidneys and lungs to the chemical laboratory so that they may be examined for toxicology analysis. The autopsy is finished shortly after 3:00 pm. The results and conclusion of the autopsy are to follow in a matter of weeks.
Later that afternoon Corporal Gaudreault, Coroner Durand and Mr. Allore convene at the SQ headquarters to discuss the case. Everyone agrees that the body is almost certainly that of Theresa Allore. Gaudreault assures Mr. Allore that, despite the decomposition, the autopsy will determine what happened to Theresa. For now, Gaudreault is leaning towards a possible suicide; perhaps a drowning or possible drug overdose. Durand mentions the bruises under the armpits. What was the explanation for that? Gaudreault does not know, but he doubts that Theresa was the victim of a sexual predator. Gaudreault points to the underwear as evidence. If she were raped, her underwear would have been torn. The underwear on the body was in pristine condition. Gauldreault and Durand do not make mention of the strangulation marks that were observed earlier. Before departing, an inventory of the belongings found on the body is taken. Gaudreault produces the earrings from the autopsy, and the ring and watch, which he has kept in his possession. Mr. Allore releases these objects back to Gaudreault as evidence. The transfer is witnessed by signature by Coroner Durand.
Saturday evening Mr. Allore places a call to private investigator Robert Buellac. Buellac is already aware of the situation. They discuss how the body was found; face down in the water near Compton, in her panties and bra, the state of decomposition, the absence of signs of physical trauma. Buellac assures Mr. Allore that the autopsy will determine the cause of death. Whether it was a drowning or not. Whether there were drugs and alcohol involved or not. Buellac consoles Mr. Allore. He suggests that the matter may be resolved very quickly if they find intoxicating levels of drugs or alcohol in her system. He tells Mr. Allore that the worst is over.
FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2007
Le Pire
Ten o’clock on the morning of Friday, April 13th, 1979. Thirty-year-old Robert Ride is busy going about his annual spring pilgrimage of setting and baiting muskrat traps. Ride has been at it all morning. He has already placed his small wire traps along the banks of the Massawippi, and is now turning his attentions to the Coaticook River. In his pick-up truck Ride travels south from Waterville to the village of Compton Station. The “village” consists of little more than a grain elevator. From “the Station”, Ride travels east on Chemin de la Station to the floor of the Coaticook valley. He stops near the entrance to a farmhouse, exits his vehicle, and sets some traps along the muddy shores of the Coaticook River. It is a good spot. In the summer and fall the muskrats feed off the corn stalks that grow in the fields adjacent to the banks. Ride gets in his truck, continues down the road about 50 meters and slows just before a small service bridge. Another good spot. Down from the farmhouse, on the other side of the cornfield is a pond of water. The pond is formed by the water runoff that drains from the cornfields. There have been heavy rains this spring; it is a good place to set his traps.
Ride pulls to the side of the road in front of the bridge. He descends from his pick-up truck, climbs over the guardrail, and starts down the steep embankment. He will not need supplies. He has trapped here before, and keeps a stash of materials in the underbrush next to the pond. Ride walks back about 50 feet to the site of a large, old oak tree. To his left is the cornfield - with the farmhouse off in the distance to the back of the field. To his right are the banks of the pond - the village of Compton lies less than a mile away up the other side of the valley. At the base of the oak tree he retrieves the cord of wire he uses for trapping, left in this spot through the long winter months. Ride continues to walk back, hugging the edge of the pond. The banks are muddy. He can see the tiny prints forged in the mud. Muscrat. The perfect spot. He begins to set the traps, continuing to work toward the back of the pond. At about 100 feet back from the road Ride stops. A tree limb has fallen. It traverses the shore, preventing him from continuing up the bank. The tops of the limb extend out into the pond. Ride looks to his right, trying to figure a way around the limb. Tangled in the branches in the pond he sees something. Face down in the water, a body. The skin is a mass of gray. The hair is matted. The corpse is naked except for the bra and underwear that cover it. It is the body of a woman.
-----------------------------------------------
Detectives Roch Gaudreault and Jacques Lessard are dispatched to the scene. The coroner, Michel Durand, and a mobile crime unit arrive soon thereafter. By 12:00 noon the area is crowded with investigators and news photographers. Agent Nick Gregoire takes photographs and draws a precise map of the crime scene. The bridge is 17.8 meters long, 8.6 meters wide. It is located 0.9 miles from Compton, 0.2 miles down from the entrance to the farm. Halfway between the bridge and the farm entrance is a tractor entrance, allowing access to the cornfield. The body lies exactly 34 meters back from the bridge. From the tractor entrance, measured on a diagonal, the body lies 38 meters back.
Detectives break into teams and begin to search the area. In a green garbage bag, by the ditch at the entrance to the farmhouse, they find some women’s clothing, including a pink sweater. In the cornfield they find two pieces of a green scarf. The scarf has been torn in two. One piece lies 19.3 meters on the diagonal from the tractor entrance. The second piece lies 16.4 meters from the first piece, again on a diagonal. The second piece is at a distance of 25.3 meters from the body.
Detective Gaudreault examines the body. The corpse is lying face down in 8 to 10 inches of water. There is a watch on the left wrist. There is also a ring on the left forefinger. There are earrings on both ears. The investigator observes what appear to be marks of strangulation around the neck.
The Coroner is called over to make his determination. Michel Durand examines the body. The face is disfigured from the ice it has lied in all winter. He observes bruise marks under both armpits. He determines it is the body of a young girl between the ages of 17 and 18. He documents that the body weighs approximately 120 to 125 lbs., and measures approximately 5’5” in length. He concludes that this information corresponds to the age, weight and height of the young girl, Theresa Allore, missing from this area since November 3rd, 1978. Coroner Durand requests that an autopsy be undertaken and that dental records be checked to determine if the corpse is that of the young Allore girl. Durand requests that the chief investigator, Corporal Roch Gaudreault of the Surete Du Quebec, be present at the autopsy.
The body is taken to the morgue in Sherbrooke. The investigators contact authorities at Champlain College. They are trying to locate Andre Allore, the brother of Theresa Allore. They want him to make a positive identification. Andre Allore cannot be located. Investigators try to track down Theresa’s friends, but they cannot be found. It is Easter weekend; everyone has gone home for the holiday. Three students, Brian Mimeault, Wendy Ford, and Jocelyne Binette are brought to the morgue. They are not friends of Theresa. They are asked to look at the corps. They are unable to make a positive id on the body.
Late Friday afternoon Corporal Gaudreault locates Mr. Allore visiting relatives in the Province of Ontario. Gaudreault informs Mr. Allore that they have found a body and they think it is Theresa. He tells Mr. Allore about the watch. He tells Mr. Allore about the ring and the earrings. He does not tell him about the strangulation marks. He tells Mr. Allore there are no signs of physical violence on the body. Corporal Gaudreault requests that Mr. Allore authorize an autopsy to be performed so that the cause of death may be determined. Mr. Allore gives his permission. Gaudreault then requests that Mr. Allore travel immediately to the Laboratoire de medicine legale de Montreal so that a positive identification may be made before the autopsy is performed.
FRIDAY, APRIL 06, 2007
Seeing Double
It's Good Friday. And, yes, Theresa was found on Good Friday. SO if you're confused it's because in 1979 Good Friday fell on the 13th of April, one week from today.
To recap... Good Friday, 1979... AND it was bad luck Friday (the 13th).
And in case you ever wondered, yes, Manon Dube was also found on Good Friday (in 1978 Easter was in March).
Louise Camirand was not found on Good Friday, that was a mistake made by the National Post.
THURSDAY, APRIL 05, 2007
Hejira
I just talked to my brother, who among many things is one of the most beautiful things on this earth. We talked about T, and music (his music), and movies (Good Cop, Bad Cop and how I should see it), and plans for Easter weekend (I'm taking the family to the Durham Bulls tomorrow night - lots o' fireworks).
On the way in to work this morning I listened to Joni Mitchell's Hejira.Do you know this album? 1976... big departure for Joni... heavy jazz influence.
I can listen to it 5 times for 5 different reasons:
1. Joni's chord progressions
2. Larry Carlton's guitar work (the reason many place this on their dessert island pics)
3. Neil Young: And you thought he couldn't play harmonica
4. Jaco Pastorius: actually this is a reason for BUYING the CD
5. The lyrics :
I'm porous with travel fever
But you know I'm so glad to be on my own
Still somehow the slightest touch of a stranger
Can set up trembling in my bones
I would like to imagine that Theresa introduced me to Joni Mitchell. But that's not true. In fact, when Patricia Pearson was writing herPost articles she imagined Theresa listening to Joni Mitchell, and I had to ask her to change it to Cat Stevens or something. True, we were aware of Joni: I remember as kids we would hold hands and twirl round to Circle Game, but this wasn't Theresa's music.
Actually, Hejira was introduced to me by Candace, an accountant I worked with at a winery in California. We had the most civilized way of reconciling the books. We would go through the numbers at the end of the month to the music of Joni and Van Morrison and Nina Simone.
Long May You Run
