Unspeakable

When the body of 12-year-old Karissa Boudreau, whose disappearance dominated the news in Nova Scotia for weeks, was found in February, I wrote the following:

Karissa disappeared just after having an argument with her mother. God only knows how she must be feeling now. As for what the killer is feeling right now, I hope it's an overwhelming urge to jump off a very high bridge.

Shortly thereafter, rumours began flying about the role her mother may have played in the killing. And this weekend, she was arrested and charged:

A mother charged with the premeditated murder of her only daughter was scheduled to appear in court today, about four months after an intensive search for 12-year-old Karissa Boudreau ended when her body was found on a frozen riverbank.

Penny Boudreau is making her first court appearance since she was charged on Friday with the first-degree murder of Ka­rissa.

[...]

Boudreau, 33, reported Karis­sa missing late on the afternoon of Jan. 27, as a snowstorm ap­proached.

Boudreau told police she had argued with her daughter that day as they drove to a supermar­ket in Bridgewater, a town of 8,000 about an hour southwest of Halifax.

She said she went into the store, leaving the girl in a car.

When she returned, Bou­dreau told investigators, Karis­sa was gone.

Two days after she reported her daughter missing, Bou­dreau appealed to the public for help at an emotional news con­ference.

Police said they were worried for the girl because she wasn’t prepared for the cold weather, wearing only a black hoodie, black vest, blue jeans and pink Crocs.

Karissa’s body was found Feb. 9 by a passerby who spotted human remains partially cov­ered in snow on a steep bank of the LaHave River just south of the town.

It's particularly unnerving that Ms. Boudreau is charged with first-degree murder - that is, an allegedly planned and deliberate killing. Whether the Crown has laid the charge in the hope that she'll plead guilty to a lesser offense, or whether they have compelling evidence that the killing was premeditated, we'll find out when this matter proceeds to trial.

If I had children, I'd feel especially compelled to hug them right now. No child should have to fear their parents could do something like this.

Damian P.

Update: as Dawg notes in the comment section, Ms. Boudreau has not been convicted of this charge, and remains innocent until proven guilty. That's something the people of Bridgewater, in particular, should keep in mind.

Posted by damian at June 16, 2008 09:17 AM