Ramblings of a madman

This morning I read the article linked here in today’s issue of The Toronto Star, a story about Robert Baltovich being found not-guilty in the murder of Elizabeth Bain.

What really struck me, however, was the transcript of the police questioning Paul Bernardo. Bernardo, as you will see, is incapable of lucid or coherent answers, preferring instead to speak in fillers that take the long way around, leading up to a climax of… nothing.

I found it unnerving just reading the words.

Even though Bernardo killed Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy in the early 1990s, they still come to mind each time I drive past the church on Linwell Road where Kristen French was abducted. I pass the church at least six times a week and never fail to think of Bernardo and Homolka pushing Kristen into their car. I feel the same sickening feeling every time, thinking of the high school teenager not far from her home or school further along the north-end street, and the same thought comes to mind: how could the abduction of Kristen French have gone unnoticed on a busy thoroughfare in broad daylight?

CONVERSATION WITH A KILLER

On June 7, 2007, police interviewed Paul Bernardo at Kingston Penitentiary and asked him about Elizabeth Bain. Here is a transcript:

Police: Um, did you kill Elizabeth Bain on June 19, 1990?

Bernardo: Well that’s a loaded question. I mean, are we going to go back and go through the time sequence of what happened in my life. I mean I could just give a yes or no answer. But you know, there are a lot of issues about that.

Police: Right.

Bernardo: You know, Karla’s and my role. Who did what, when, why – you guys, you know, go down there to get a polygraph to get to see if she’s telling the truth. Why didn’t they do it in the first place? … why would he make a deal with someone and not give them a polygraph? It’s incomprehensible. You know, because … my file says her version and it’s a lie. … I’m not making frivolous points here. And now, you’re asking me, after Peel Regional says I’m lying about this and now you’re saying I’m lying about my profile. … and now you’re saying hey, did you kill this person? I mean if you’re saying I’m lying here, here and here. I could say no, I didn’t, but, I mean you already said I’m lying here with the Peel. You say …

Police: I’m not saying anything about who’s lying. I’m simply …

Bernardo: And I’ve given you directions to go to find the truth and no one has done that.

Police: Right. And again I’ve told you that I’ve done the investigation from what information you’ve told me and … I’ve been able to verify in my mind where you’ve told me the truth. So if Peel Region is lying about you or someone else is lying about you, I have no control over that or (inaudible).

Bernardo: It goes right to credibility.

Police: Well, absolutely. … I hope to be able to go through some timelines here and identify where you were, what you were doing specifically in relation to this case.

Bernardo: Anyways, I know I’m giving you guys a hard time but I mean really. I’m a human being. When you guys do all these things, I’ve gotta. I’ll try to give you a little bit more but. Anyways the answer to that is no. But the 800-pound gorilla in a room – that’s life-25 sentence, you know. It really comes down to credibility.

Police: Right.

Bernardo: And not only credibility but then again timelines, what Karla’s and my roles were respectively and this and that – the answer is no to that question.

Police: Did you have anything to do with her disappearance?

Bernardo: No.

Police: Did you know Elizabeth Bain?

Bernardo: Not that I know of.

Police: Had you ever met her?

Bernardo: I’m going to answer that one with I don’t remember. Because if I did, I don’t remember. I know an ex-girlfriend, which I can think – but I don’t know.