Families gather at mass murderer's parole hearing

The Assassins Curse · 10-22-2008, 02:25 PM

Quote:

By Jamie Komarnicki and Elise Stolte, Canwest News Service
Published: Wednesday, October 22, 2008
BOWDEN, Alta. -- Relatives of a British Columbia family murdered in 1982 gathered outside the killer's prison Wednesday morning to protest David Shearing's bid for parole.

"Our family will never be the same," said Michelle Botelho, a niece of one of the six slain victims. "Our children will never be the same. It's generations and generations."

"No matter what the outcome today, it's continual torment from Shearing."

Shearing, 49, killed six members of a B.C. family on a camping trip -- including two young girls he held captive for nearly a week. The dead were George and Edith Bentley, both in their late 60s, their daughter, Jackie Johnson, and her husband, Bob, along with their daughters, Janet, 13, and Karen, 11.

Shearing has been housed at Alberta's Bowden Institution, about 100 kilometres north of Calgary. He was set to appear before a parole board hearing there on Wednesday in his first bid for freedom since the grisly crime that sent him to prison 26 years ago.

Another relative, Kelly Nielsen, said she is sickened at the thought of being in the same room as Shearing, but added she needs to tell the parole board that the killer has not spent enough time behind bars.

"I believe he's only served for one person. He has five others to account for."

Family members, who were hugging each other in the parking lot outside the prison, said that because the victims no longer have a voice, their relatives need to speak up for them.

"No matter happens today, it's continued torment," said Botelho, a cousin of Karen and Janet Johnson. "We have to relive it again and again."

They called Shearing a continued menace to society, comparing him to notorious B.C. serial killer Clifford Olson.

Many of the cousins were too young to be in court for Shearing's trial, so this will be their first time in his presence.

"I feel sick," said Nielsen. "He's in the same room, which is something."

"The presence of evil," Botelho added. "Pure evil."

The disappearance of the Bentley and Johnson families sparked a Canada-wide manhunt, with the RCMP driving a replica camper truck across the country in an effort to drum up tips.

Nearly 1,300 people told police they had seen the family's truck heading east before RCMP found the vehicle's burned-out hulk hidden on top of a mountain less than 40 kilometres from where the family was shot to death.

The family's bodies were found in the trunk.

Shearing was arrested in November 1983 and pleaded guilty to the killings. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison without parole.

Retired RCMP Sgt. Mike Eastham, who wrote a book on the police investigation, says it was only after his conviction that Shearing revealed what he had really done to the family.

Shearing initially told investigators he had seen the six camping alone one night in a clearing just off the highway on his way home from work, and said he went back a second night with a .22-calibre rifle and killed them all. He said he didn't know why.

Eastham says Shearing told him he shot the four adults as they sat around a campfire.

The two girls were already in their tent, ready for bed. Shearing said he peered in, told them a dangerous biker gang was around and their parents had run for help.

While they stayed in the tent, he said, he loaded the bodies of their parents and grandparents into the back seat of the family car, and covered the bodies with a blanket. Then he crawled into the tent with the girls.

Shearing told Eastham he kept the girls alive for nearly a week, staying with them both at his ranch and at a small fishing cabin on the Clearwater River.

After nearly being discovered at one point, Shearing said he took the girls back to his ranch. Then, one at a time, he took each girl for a walk in the woods, told her to turn around so he could urinate, then shot each sister in the back of the head.

The case left emotional scars for some of those involved with it.

"You can't help but have some emotional tie," retired RCMP officer Gerry Dalen said recently.

"Will he or will he not get out? In order to gain some peace, we did our job and then you have to give it over to the justice system."

Shearing today goes by his mother's maiden name, Ennis.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/ne...0-826ad2481b5a

You see? This is why Canada should have a death penalty but no it's "cruel and unusual punishment."

Spiegel · 10-23-2008, 12:29 AM

So this guy murders like six people and is trying to get parole??? That's pretty messed up, especially for the relatives of the victims. If death penalty doesn't exist then just leave him there for life simple as that.

UltimateChaos · 10-28-2008, 01:28 PM

only 26 years for 6 murders? That is a shame, he should have gotten life for it.

catilena1890 · 10-28-2008, 02:02 PM

bring him to the U.S. If those damn Canadians are gonna be pansies, then let us shoot the son of a bitch. This is inexcusable.

Teh Big One · 12-06-2008, 12:06 PM

I'm sure if he gets Parole he'll be shot by one of the victim's family members. But still, no death sentence? Canada needs to grow a pair.

emachina · 12-06-2008, 12:27 PM

Well Charles Manson gets a chance at parole every few years, so this isn't surprising. I doubt this lunatic has a shot at parole though.

ShinobiKnight · 12-06-2008, 02:01 PM

The death sentence is "cruel and unusual punishment"? "Cruel" is debatable, but it's certainly not at all unusual to kill someone for commiting crimes.

Anyway, yeah, this guy should've been given life without a chance of parole. As it is, we'll have to hope the parole board has enough sense not to let this guy out.

10-23-2008, 12:29 AM	#2
Spiegel Pirate King Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Grand Line (New World) Age: 25 Posts: 4,906 Thanks: 1,075 Thanked 1,607 Times in 848 Posts	Re: Families gather at mass murderer's parole hearing So this guy murders like six people and is trying to get parole??? That's pretty messed up, especially for the relatives of the victims. If death penalty doesn't exist then just leave him there for life simple as that. __________________ "Inherited will, the destiny of the age, and the dreams of its people. These are things that will not be stopped. As long as people continue to pursue the meaning of freedom, these things will never cease to be!" -Gol D. Roger Ex-Kakashi87

10-28-2008, 01:28 PM	#3
UltimateChaos AKA: Chaos Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 25 Thanks: 16 Thanked 16 Times in 12 Posts	Re: Families gather at mass murderer's parole hearing only 26 years for 6 murders? That is a shame, he should have gotten life for it.

10-28-2008, 02:02 PM	#4
catilena1890 I ran outta fucks to give Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Why do you need to know? Age: 21 Posts: 277 Thanks: 38 Thanked 11 Times in 11 Posts	Re: Families gather at mass murderer's parole hearing bring him to the U.S. If those damn Canadians are gonna be pansies, then let us shoot the son of a bitch. This is inexcusable. __________________ meh Best Thing ever V

12-06-2008, 12:06 PM	#5
Teh Big One I am an Ass Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: US of A Age: 25 Posts: 136 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Families gather at mass murderer's parole hearing I'm sure if he gets Parole he'll be shot by one of the victim's family members. But still, no death sentence? Canada needs to grow a pair. __________________

12-06-2008, 12:27 PM	#6
emachina Jounin Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 811 Thanks: 436 Thanked 604 Times in 199 Posts	Re: Families gather at mass murderer's parole hearing Well Charles Manson gets a chance at parole every few years, so this isn't surprising. I doubt this lunatic has a shot at parole though.

12-06-2008, 02:01 PM	#7
ShinobiKnight Silberner Held Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Andorra Age: 20 Posts: 1,914 Thanks: 473 Thanked 84 Times in 56 Posts	Re: Families gather at mass murderer's parole hearing The death sentence is "cruel and unusual punishment"? "Cruel" is debatable, but it's certainly not at all unusual to kill someone for commiting crimes. Anyway, yeah, this guy should've been given life without a chance of parole. As it is, we'll have to hope the parole board has enough sense not to let this guy out. __________________

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