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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2019-01-17, Page 15THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019. PAGE 15. Continued from page 1 posted odd statements on Facebook indicating he was tired of drama. He wrote that even the nicest people have their limits. There was a meeting between the Fischers and Carter where Gail and her parents offered to pay off some of Carter’s debt if he would sign his third of the house back to them. Carter refused, swearing as he left the Tim Hortons location. On March 28, the day before the murders, Carter went to Listowel and purchased a 20-litre gas can and a self-igniting torch kit. The next morning, on March 29, Gail got up and was getting ready for work. She had a coffee with her mother and then donning her winter coat and boots, walked to her Jeep outside. Carter was waiting by her vehicle. He attacked her, forced her to the ground and zip-tied her wrists behind her back. Carter told Gail he had a gun and she should not scream or fight. He told her this was happening because she had taken everything from him. Gail’s glasses fell to the ground as Carter shouldered his Wescast duffle bag. Inside, were plastic bags, the torch, rope, duct tape, 15 heavy duty zip ties and one pair of black gloves. The gas can he purchased the day before was also there, as were pre- made lengths of duct tape he had stuck on the recycling bin. Gail was forced back inside the house. Things escalated quickly. Marian came out the bedroom and Carter shot her in the leg, hitting the femoral artery. Then Carter went to the master bedroom where he shot Douglas in the mouth, shattering his teeth. Gail ran to her dad in the bedroom, knocked the handset off the phone and made her first call to 911. It was 8:15 a.m. While Gail was calling 911 with her nose, her mother was crawling to another phone. Carter shot Marian in the back of the head and killed her. Carter returned Gail to the entryway of the house where he told her to take off her coat. She told him she could not because both her hands were tied behind her back. He cut one of the ties off and using the opportunity, Gail (who had been telling Carter she didn’t know where her cell phone was) dialed 911 and slipped her phone into her back pocket. During that call, the dispatcher and police could hear Gail crying for help and saying “it hurts.” Carter could be heard saying “it’s supposed to.” Also audible were sounds of Douglas’s final moments, coughing and choking. Carter returned to the bedroom and put a pillow over Douglas’ head. Gail struggled to get the pillow off her father. Then Carter shot Douglas four to six more times. The shots to the head were fatal. Carter then told Gail they were “going to do this one more time.” He took her upstairs. Gail slid her phone under the bed, hiding it. She was sexually assaulted. Gail asked Carter to get her a glass of water. When he returned, they heard knocks on the door. Carter is reported as saying, “The police are here. Now you will get everything.” At 8:30 a.m., the first officer was on the scene. At 8:43 a.m., officers broke down the door. They witnessed Carter walking down the stairs saying “everything is okay.” Carter was immediately detained and Gail was brought to the hospital. Both Douglas and Marian were pronounced dead at the scene. After the Crown’s report was read, defence lawyer Robert Morris said the facts were essentially correct. He added it was Carter’s position that his intention that morning was to force the occupants out of the home, burn the house down and take his own life. “We do not accept his statement as truth,” said Maguire. With the facts laid out, four impact statements were read out by the assistant Crown Attorney, Laura Grant. In her written statement, Gail expressed “it angers me that Carter felt he could come into our house that day and change our lives forever.” Gail said when she closes her eyes, she sees everything occur all over again and lives in constant fear that if Carter is released, he will return to hurt or kill her and more members of her family. In Carter’s defence, Morris read out several character letters where Carter was credited as being very involved in the community. It was stated he was a helpful and loving grandfather. Also, that Carter had much compassion for those in need. A neighbour wrote that Carter has always been “regarded as a kind and caring person who would always help when needed. He will always be regarded as one of the good people who came into our lives.” The Chaplain of the prison where Carter had been held since the arrest said Carter has accepted his situation, is considerably remorseful and believes the murders were an act Carter considers “extremely out of character.” Morris also stated that by pleading guilty, Carter “is accepting responsibility for what he did and is prepared to accept the consequences of what he did.” Judge Thomas said the letters had little bearing on the case. He recounted that after watching her parents killed, Carter tried to force Gail into sexual acts. “His actions are so horrific, that they are, quite frankly, unimaginable,” said Judge Thomas. The judge went on to refute Carter’s claims that he only intended to force Gail, Douglas and Marian from the home. “Yet you showed up with a gun with a silencer,” he said. Carter was asked if he wished to say anything. He unfolded a small piece of paper on which he had written, “To the Fischer family and relatives and to my family and relatives, I am truly and deeply sorry for the pain and suffering I have caused you. You are all in my thoughts and prayers. If I could turn back time, I would. Do I regret it? Every day,” he said. Then Carter looked up and said, “Douglas and Marian were good people and I am terribly sorry for taking their lives.” In tears, as he was handcuffed and led from the courtroom for a court break, Carter looked at Gail and said, “I am so sorry.” Before sentencing Carter on the three counts against him, Judge Thomas again reflected on the letters that were read about Carter. “It’s like they were referring to a different person,” said the Judge. “Nothing explains why Kevin Carter could have been so evil as to have destroyed this family with such violence,” said Judge Thomas. “It was an act of greed, a final act of domination in a situation he found he could no longer control.” He did credit Carter for eventually signing over ownership of the house and for pleading guilty so that the family would not have to sit through a painful trial. In his comments to Gail, Judge Thomas praised and encouraged her, commending Gail’s “strength of character” in dialing 911 while her hands were tied behind her back. “But for her actions, who knows what would have happened to her,” said Judge Thomas. “Her actions show a strength of character which will hopefully enable her to move forward.” He told Gail she should not feel guilt. “This was out of your hands. How could you have possibly known this would ever happen?” Carter was then sentenced to three life sentences to be served con- currently with no chance for parole until 25 years have been served. By that time, Carter will be 82. “However, given the age of the offender, the guilty plea and the personal circumstances upon which I have commented and the real likelihood Kevin Carter will never be paroled, I believe concurrent sentences are fit and just in the circumstances,” said Judge Thomas. Added to the sentencing, Carter was ordered not to contact Fischer family members. Their names were read aloud, an emotional revelation of how many people were directly affected by Carter’s actions. Carter pleads guilty to murders Documentary features locals Late last year, Community Futures Huron unveiled a special documentary called Enterprising Women of Brussels: Tales of Gumption to the stars of the film at a private event at the Brussels Four Winds Barn. The film, which highlights both new businesses and those changing hands, focuses on female entrepreneurs who are the driving force behind a renaissance in Brussels. Paul Nichol, General Manager of Community Futures Huron, told The Citizen that the idea for the film started in the summer of 2018 when conversation around the Community Futures office, also known as the Huron Business Development Corporation, turned to the ongoing revitalization of the village of Brussels. “We were talking about how remarkable it was that Brussels main street was getting life breathed back into it after several slower years, or decades for that matter,” he said. “We talked about the businesses that were changing hands and noting that it was all being done by women.” He said, from there, it was clear that those women should be recognized for their efforts, which led to a short documentary. “We felt there was a story here and the story was all about what’s making these women take that leap of faith to take over or start a new business venture,” he said. The documentary features a wide range of businesses, Nichol said, including businesses that were either sold or taken over through succession like Mait-Side Orchard, Huron Feeding Systems, Riverside Funeral Home and McDonald’s Home Hardware or new ventures like Brussels Bulk and Bargain. “We wanted to share these success stories amongst our Community Futures community, which is nation- wide,” Nichol said. The documentary plays particularly well with Community Futures, Nichol said, because a current priority for the group is to seek out female entrepreneurs. “For example, we’re launching a new loan program to Community Futures Huron,” Nichol said, explaining it was a program to provide loans to rural women in businesses. “That was one of the reasons we were doing this: other than telling the story, we had a particular audience in mind,” he said. The event welcomed the stars of the film and their families because, as Nichol explained, the project is all about them. “We didn’t do a gala event and we didn’t want to release it until they had seen it,” he said. “It was a lovely evening and the people there were excited about it and are still excited about it.” The film has undergone some changes since then, but should be available through the Huron Community Futures and Brussels Facebook pages as well as on YouTube. Nichol said that the documentary was also a unique experience because it was put together with a team of summer students who are all credited in the film. He said that local students and media students from Sheridan College, including his son Seth, all worked together on the project. “It was a great experience working with them,” he said. “It was also very well done. It’s a very well- crafted documentary.” For more information, visit Community Futures Huron on Facebook or its website at www.cfhuron.ca By Denny Scott The Citizen Entrepreneurs Zoey Onn, shown above during an event at Riverside Funeral Home, which she took over with her partner Thom in 2017, is one of the women featured in the documentary Women of Brussels: Tales of Gumption. (File photo) Help wanted Help wanted Classified Advertisements The Municipality of Central Huron is now accepting applications for the following position: Water and Sewer Journeyman (Operator) (1 Position – 40 hours per week, Utilities Work Center) Reporting to the Utilities Manager the applicant will have proven operating experience and Ministry of Environment certificates for Wastewater Treatment / Collection and Water Distribution and Supply Subsystem. Employment to commence immediately. Applicants are asked to submit a detailed résumé in confidence to the undersigned by noon 12:00 p.m., Friday, January 25, 2019. Human Resources Municipality of Central Huron Box 400, 23 Albert Street, Clinton, Ontario N0M 1L0 humanresources@centralhuron.com Terms and conditions of employment as per collective agreement, Local Union 636 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and all Human Resources policies and procedures of the Municipality of Central Huron. The Municipality of Central Huron is an equal opportunity employer. Accessibility accommodations are available for all parts of the recruitment process. Applicants need to make their needs known in advance. We thank all applicants and advise that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.