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Chad Edwards Victim Impact Statement
Chad Edwards Victim Impact Statement
I am reading this today, in regards to the crime, emotional distress, and my concern involving the convicts, George Lovie, release. I have decided to read this statement, because the last time Lovie saw me, I was a boy of five. Out of fear of my safety, I do not feel comfortable showing my face with the possibility of his release. My earliest memory is not a pleasant one. I was 5 years old; my mother holding me over the pale lifeless bodies of my grandfather and grandmother to give them a final hug before their caskets were closed. At first I thought they were playing, but when they didnt open their eyes, and everyone else in the room was crying. Lilies surrounded the caskets at the wake, and their pungent aroma instantly brings those tragic and hurtful memories immediately back into my
mind. Needless to say, I cannot stand the smell of lilies and Ill never forget the look of their lifeless faces. I had such utter confusion when those wooden boxes that held my grandparents were being lowered into the ground with the two of them inside. I learned life lessons at the early age of five: death is eternal, there is, in fact, more to fear than fear itself, and horrible things can happen to innocent and caring people. While other children had fears of a monster like boogie man, my fear was real and carried the face of the convict sitting in this very room. I used to wet my bed, not because I was having accidents, but because I was scared of the creaks and noises of the night and worried that George was breaking into the house.
My nightmares were, in fact, more real that Id like to think. During the trial it was revealed, to my parents horror, that this convict had genuine intensions to kidnap, ransom, and do harm to my siblings, my cousins and myself, whom the convicts very own sister testified to under oath. Had the sequence of events been different; it may have been that this meeting was being held because of a conviction resulting from the murder of children. It is truly shocking how as you grow older, the shroud of innocence starts to disappear, and the true more dismal picture than had been expected is revealed. What is worse, is that that gruesome nature of Lovies crime have added more anxiety to my life as I was informed with the details of the case. I knew very little of Lovies actual crime at the time, as my parents attempted to protect me, but as Ive grown older I began to learn more. The mans crime is more horrific when the gritty details come down to it, and time isnt healing the wounds; its surgically opening old sores. When we received a letter from the parole board, the old wounds are ripped wide open. My poor father, who suffered from post traumatic stress disorder following the events, sits catatonic most of the time, not himself, and more depressed than Ive ever seen him. Nothing cheers him up. The very prospect of parole has given me severe anxiety, and sleepless nights. To date, eighteen years later, I still wake to the slightest sound, heart pounding, afraid of the prospect of his release. The only way Im calmed and able to sleep at night because of my reassurance that the offender is still imprisoned, but even these thoughts are dashed because time gives him the appearance of rehabilitation to a parole board. It is every so much more frustrating and heartbreaking to think that the justice system is contemplating giving a convicted murderer another chance when my grand-parents, who never committed a crime in their lives, do not get a reprieve from the grave. The convicted murderer sitting before you didnt just premeditative kill my grandparents and attempt to kill my aunt, but he also robbed me of opportunities. The opportunity to share fond loving memories with my grandparents (my memories with them have only been me visiting their grave). The opportunity to have lived a care free childhood filled with innocence, happiness, and the ability to live without further persecution and the constant anxiety associated with the tragedy. Now you, the parole board, can rob me of further opportunities. By releasing this killer, you are giving him the chance to do further emotionally and physically damage myself and the Edwards family. How can I protect my very own family when I dont feel confident even protecting myself from his rampage? My family is confident that emotional and physical damage will be done if he is release. Let me now tell you why it is without question in my mind that this killer poses a real threat to my family as well as to the community.
It has often been said, Some are destined to succeed, some are determined to succeed. This man was determined to kill my grandparents and my aunt Michelle; and no matter what steps they made to avert a crisis, it wasnt enough. He did not fully succeed and it is without question that hes angry, lacks remorse no matter what he says, and waiting to get his vengeance. Lovie will be doing the exact same thing that he was doing preceding these murders. He told his victims his gruesome plan, and the police the complete opposite. Are you certain that his statements about rehabilitation are true? How can you offer any guarantee of my safety when this mans crimes were done with a knife. You do not need a background check to purchase knives, they are easily concealable, available in every kitchen, and he assault my aunt with her very own kitchen knife and used one brutally kill my grandfather. What is for certain is that this man has a long history of assaults, and violence that ranges far before the murders. Hes assaulted previous girlfriends, a police officer, a past boyfriend, and raped and assaulted my aunt. He had spent previous time incarcerated, and yet, he murdered my grandparents at 7 oclock in the morning, ambushing them in their home with a high powered hunting rifle and a buck knife. He shot my grandmother multiple times and stabbed my grandfather 5 times. You cannot rehabilitate an individual who only knows physical violence, and its clear that his past time made no effect on his actions when he was released. If you release him, youll once again be putting him into an environment where hes been positively reinforced by violent actions. Youll be giving him a fourth chance to turn his life around, considering that he has three prior convictions of assault. If the committee decides to release this man, youll me altering the lives of countless members of my family, and youll be making us refugees from the country that weve called home. Is his release really worth having my family have to turn their back on Canada? Are you willing to trade peaceful individuals for a murderer? The fact is clear that a victim of violence is killed monthly in this country by an offender; released. Considering that you couldnt protect other victims of violence, how can you provide me with any confidence that youll take my pleas as serious? Youll be causing us unbearable mental disturbance by having the constant worry that hes watching in ambush. Weve already incurred medical expenses from therapy related with the original events, how much more do we have to endure? Please dont let our nightmares continue, and make the wrong decision by letting this murderer out.