Monday, 21 November 2011

An Update

Here's a little update....unfortunately I am a little too cynical and numb to be very inspiring tonight...
I almost didn't write but I feel I should considering the date tomorrow.
It's November 22, the date of the person who took my son's life's third court appearance.  The day that he is to make an official plea...guilty or not guilty. 
I really don't know what the hold up has really been because I think we all know that this person has no intention of taking any responsibility for doing what he clearly did.  The only two people in that apartment that fateful day.  One is dead...the other is not.  How is there any real question as to guilt?  This is the part of our legal system that I will indeed, never understand...and never really did before. 
Oh those glorious days when I never imagined this would be a life I would know so intimately.  I am the mother of a murdered child.  The mother who has buried two sons. 
My very good friend Jennifer and I are the kind of people who watch Dateline, or W5 the Passionate Eye.  We have always been two people most interested in reading fascinating, albeit heart wrenching tales of lives lost.  Discussing over and over what we think may have happened, and why.  When this first had happened to Daniel, Jen said to me "This isn't supposed to happen to one of us...we are the ones who watch these shows!!"  Now it is real...Law and Order, CSI....wtf.

I had the privilege of talking to Sgt Craig Harper.  He is a very kind man who has talked to more than his fair share of grieving parents I am sure.  It's people like him and the others on his team, who do their best to make this world a better place.  It can not please him in anyway to have to call people like me and talk about the "case" , but, without people like me, people like HIM, wouldn't have a job.  Actually, let me rephrase that....without that person who murdered my son, people like Sgt. Harper, wouldn't have a job.  There, that makes more sense. 

I know that Daniel's murder is a terribly complicated case.  But never once, even in my most darkest moments, have I ever doubted the abilities of the men and women who have been doing their best to have the person responsible for all of our pain, punished.

Here is what news I can share......
that's right...nothing much.  There isn't a lot they can tell me.  Everything is confidential for the most part, even kept secret from me.  I wish it weren't that way, but I don't make the rules, and neither do the police.  One of the investigators described it to me like this....imagine the building of the case like a ladder.  Every time you let out any little detail its like removing a wrung.  It weakens.  And I can admit, that even though I am a very good secret keeper, it would be most difficult to not speak of things I am not supposed to.

And, you see, this person who deserves not a single ounce of fairness, has a RIGHT to a fair trial.  Pfft...as if.  Daniel didn't get a fair anything in all of this.

*  There has been no application for bail at this point, and the Victoria Police will fight any application they get for it.  They even have special officers whose job is to have a package ready for why they oppose bail. 
*  There will be a preliminary trial sometime in the spring most likely.  This is done in front of a judge at a provincial level.  It's something like a mini trial where a judge will decide if there is enough evidence at that time to continue on.  After that is moved forward, the Crown Council polishes their case, to present in Supreme Court.
*  Second Degree Murder is a Federal Offence which MUST be tried in the Supreme Court in front of a jury.  The only time a jury is not involved is if both sides agree to a trial by judge only, but this is not very common.
*  It will indeed be a very long time for this to actually take place.  2 years from the offence is not uncommon, and to expect it much earlier than that, is unwise.
On that note....for those of you who think it's taking too long and you want to know "what's the hold up", know this....it is going as quickly as it can possibly go.  Sgt. Harper said to me that we need to be almost thankful that there isn't a trial anytime soon.  Because if there was, he would probably get off.  Why? Because they don't have all their evidence analysed, or in order.  That is where the real hold up is.  When a piece of evidence needs to be processed, it has to be sent to Ottawa.  Canada's CSI lab.  Realize this, life isn't like a tv show.  I imagine that shows like CSI must be so frustrating to watch.  "QUICK!!  I need this DNA processed STAT!!"  ha  and an hour later its done...not so is the Canadian system.  Some evidence takes 6 months to come back.  AND...they cant send new things to be processed until the first batch of things comes back...sit...and wait....and my son is still gone.

I am truly thankful for people like Sgt. Craig Harper, and Det. Mike Darling and their colleagues because I know they aren't taking this lightly....and neither am I.



For those of you who sent letters about Daniel, I thank you.  Thank you for taking time out of your day to do that for him.  You all know that he would do the same for you.  For those who are on the fence about it what are you waiting for?  Please put a pen to paper, even if it is only 4 lines long, it would mean the world to him and I believe that ever word on ever paper opened in that Victoria office is read and cared for.  They will all go into a file kept for the Crown Council to read and know how much this boy was loved.  He deserves a million letters....because I promise you, every letter about Daniel just compounds the lack of love and support for this person who took our dear Daniel away from us.  He has no one writing letters about him...this I can guarantee.   Here is the address again (take note of the new name you can write to if you haven't already started)

ATTN: SGT. Margo Downey
2881 Nanaimo Street,

Victoria, B.C.,
V8T 4Z8

For those of you who pray, please give some extra attention to tomorrow.
My dear friend Laurel Russell will be in the courtroom at 1500 tomorrow proudly holding a picture of my little boy because I can not.
 
He is not just a name.
He is not just a victim.
He is not just Victoria's second homicide of 2011.
He IS
Daniel Jordan Levesque.
The Poet.
The Musician.
The most wonderful.
My dear boy.

I miss him so much :(


Stace xo