In The Case of Guy Turcotte

Today is Canada's birthday and for many Canadians they are celebrating the presence of Will and Kate. For me, my mind is elsewhere. It has been a few days now that the jury has be sequestered to make their decision regarding the fate of Guy Turcotte the former cardiologist who took the lives of his two very young children back in 2009. I have followed parts of the trial via the media reports, but I must tell you I have also had to remove myself from some of the harsh descriptions of the actual murder. It is just to painful to listen to how the children were murdered from multiple stabs wounds.

We are told that Turcotte was depressed because his wife was leaving him. Reports tell us that he tried to commit suicide and drank antifreeze and then he viciously killed his children. His defense has tried to show that the murders were committed by mental illness and that he was a loving father.

My take on all this clear and simple. He may of been depressed about his breakup with his wife and he may of wanted to commit suicide. Being a doctor, he should of known better that drinking antifreeze would not be the best solution to end his life. He is a coward. If he really wanted to commit suicide that would of been his choice but for goodness sakes he could of left the children alone. I blame him alone for the crime, but I am bother by the fact that the children were left in his care. His ex wife was skiing for the weekend. He had been on the phone with this mother telling her that he was depressed. I feel at that point the police should of been called immediately to go to the house and remove the children.

In cases where a break up of a family has taken place, I feel that the courts and youth protection should be advised where children much too young to protect themselves are going to be in the care of a parent who many be having a hard time dealing with the break up. In this case the emotionally stronger parent was the mother as my understanding is that Turcotte had displayed difficulties adapting to the failure of his relationship.

Nothing will bring back these two little angels. The family will live under that black cloud forever. Even if the jury declares a first degree murder sentence, he will not be eligible for parole for 25 years. Twenty five years is just not enough for me. If this crime happened in the United States, Turcotte would be sentenced to die. In twenty-five years the little angels would of only been in their twenties. So unfair. The little ones did not have a voice nor anyone to protect them. Has society failed the children?

I can only hope and pray that the jury will not be swayed that the accused was mentally ill and didn't have a clue as to what he was going. That is such a cop out and I can only think that so many other cases including Kelly-Anne's murder that this poor excuse could of be insinuated by the defence.

I ask why is the jury still deliberating and my only response is that the judge has given them too many options of sentencing. These are Turcotte's peers,just regular citizens from different walks of life. They have the facts and have to make a decision based on these facts only and not on their own personal feelings. I feel that these twelve people may presently be having a problem to agree collectively on Turcotte's fate.

But what I do know is that the fate of his children was sealed by him and that should not be discounted.