Deceased/Not Found Canada - Catherine Todd, 48, Kitchener, 18 March 2013 *J. Parise guilty*

[summer_breeze]

http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/body-of-catherine-todd-still-missing-1.1302447

CTV Kitchener
Published Wednesday, May 29, 2013 3:37PM EDT

More than two months after Catherine Todd was first reported missing, her body has yet to be found.

 

[swedie]

So we have a source who claimed CT and the loveseat would be found in the dump. Hmm, would be interesting to find out who or what the source is. JP himself? I would say he's a huge liar then. I had this gut feeling from day one LE were looking in the wrong direction. I don't believe she is there at all. Time to water board the JP. JMHO

Very sad indeed. My sympathy goes out the CT's family. RIP Catherine.

Police received information that the love seat from the apartment and “potential clues to the location of her body” were disposed there, a police media release says.

Insp. Kevin Thaler said it was unfortunate that police have not been able to provide closure to Todd’s family and the community.

Regional landfill staff helped organize the search of an area about the size of a football field, and about the height of a two-storey house.

At least 11 officers a day sifted through the trash dug up by a power shovel and placed in an industrial sorting machine.

Police searched through about 1,100 cubic metres of garbage. A cubic metre of trash in the local landfill weighs about 900 kilograms, on average. That’s 990 tonnes of trash sorted.

“We’ve got a partnership with the Crown attorney where when we bring evidence to them, we don’t lay charges until we’ve consulted with them and obviously the Crown was confident that there was enough information to proceed to charge.”

While the search at the landfill has concluded, the investigation is moving ahead.

http://www.therecord.com/sports-story/3243262-police-end-search-for-body-in-waterloo-landfill/

 

[mikkismom]

Her memorial service:

http://www.henrywalser.com/book-of-memories/1586240/Todd-Catherine/service-details.php

 

[swedie]

Bumping for Catherine. I wonder what the latest is on this investigation. Has JP not made a recent court appearance? What is with the lack of information on this case?

RIP Catherine.

 

[greenthumb]

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4116013-police-may-have-searched-wrong-area-of-landfill-for-body-of-murder-victim/

Local police may have spent more than seven weeks and almost $280,000 searching the wrong area of the Waterloo landfill for the body of murder victim Catherine Todd.

Jon Arsenault, the region's director of waste management, defended the information police were given at the start of the search.

He said it's simply not an "exact science" pinpointing where garbage was dumped on any given day, especially a week or so after the fact.

"We're quite confident … we were searching in an appropriate area," Arsenault said. "That being said, a couple of metres one way or another could be the difference here."

Apparently, LE knew when they called off the search that they may have been searching the wrong area... but rather than expanding the search, they called it off. And the cost of the search is referenced in this article, yet again. I find it rather sickening that bringing Catherine home to her family for proper burial, and locating all available evidence to ensure a conviction, became secondary to budgetary considerations. So is justice served only if it's affordable? Begs the question if the same would hold true had Catherine been a more affluent, mainstream, business woman. I suspect the value of Catherine's life was 'discounted' due to her lifestyle. And that is just wrong. In MOO. This stinks!

 

[LeftCoaster]

And the cost of the search is referenced in this article, yet again . . . So is justice served only if it's affordable?

<RSBM>

"Yet again," indeed. I've noticed in nearly every instance of media coverage of this case, that the landfill search cost and personnel involvement is cited even before details of what happened! It IS wrong. As I wrote in another post, either here or on the Kelsey Felker thread, neither LE, nor the media, nor the public, seems to have learned anything from the Pickton horror out west. And to all "bad dates" out there, the message seems to be, by all means discard your victim and any other evidence at a landfill site, because now you have ready information about the scale and scope of how your crime will be covered up - literally. JP can pretty much say whatever he wants about what happened, and since Catherine Todd allegedly was providing sexual services to him, well... it was her risk, right? WRONG. Wrong, wrong, and wrong.

I have done online searches to find references to the cost of the search for Tim Bosma, and of the ensuing homicide investigation - to no avail. Way more resources have been brought into that one, from (at a minimum) four different branches of LE - but nary a single, "Three exhaustive searches of Dellen Millard's farm have cost $_______ and # people from the OPP, HPS, Toronto, and WRPS put in # hours without any results," has turned up in the media. Or if it has, it's been a hard-to-find afterthought after a recap of the case and the people affected.

That is in no way to understate the terrible, awful nightmare of what the Bosma family and Ancaster area have endured, or to diminish the murder of Tim Bosma himself. For that matter, the murder of Audrey Gleave, in the same area, is becoming to all appearances a cold case, but we haven't had associated costs of the investigation trotted out by way of a subtle judgement of the life she is perceived to have led.

GT, I agree:

I suspect the value of Catherine's life was 'discounted' due to her lifestyle.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitch...body-may-have-looked-in-wrong-place-1.1862309

Note the immediate reference to the cost here, at the CBC account. And the confirmation that LE were aware they were looking in the wrong place before they called off the search!

The collective shrug is deplorable. And the message unambiguous to all women who live outside of what society deems acceptable.

Yikes.

 

[greenthumb]

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4120741-violent-deaths-of-local-women-emphasize-need-for-take-back-the-night-event/

The violent deaths of four women in Waterloo Region so far this year underscore the need for Thursday's annual march to end violence against women, said the event's organizer.

Those deaths "will be in the minds and hearts of the women who are marching," said Sara Casselman of the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region, which organizes the Take Back the Night rally and march.

Catherine Todd, Kelsey Felker, Erin Howlett... and most recently, Mary Ann May.

It seems to me that Waterloo Regional Police play their cards very close to the chest... not much information flows to the public (other than reiterating the costs of the search for Catherine Todd's body, of course). There does not appear to be much forward movement on some of the cases in their jurisdiction - but I understand (and hope) that much may be happening behind the scenes.

On another topic - do you consider rallies such as 'Take Back the Night' to be effective tools for change?

 

[KitchenerCanadian]

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4120741-violent-deaths-of-local-women-emphasize-need-for-take-back-the-night-event/



Catherine Todd, Kelsey Felker, Erin Howlett... and most recently, Mary Ann May.

It seems to me that Waterloo Regional Police play their cards very close to the chest... not much information flows to the public (other than reiterating the costs of the search for Catherine Todd's body, of course). There does not appear to be much forward movement on some of the cases in their jurisdiction - but I understand (and hope) that much may be happening behind the scenes.

On another topic - do you consider rallies such as 'Take Back the Night' to be effective tools for change?

I don't think the rallies bring about any change but I could hope that it will bring awareness to the community. Most of these homicides have been swept under the rug, so to speak. It makes me to angry to see how are wrps is dealing with the deaths of these women. Regardless of the choices or lifestyles.

Notice were not hearing about the costs with the millard farm, but constantly are being told about the costs of the landfill. Even Mary May is getting little media awareness, I very close to these women. I passed by Marys house a lot, I walk those paths with my kids or jog them on my own.

Sorry for going O/T of Catherine Todd, I feel our city has let us down and more importantly her family and friends who deserve to have the closure or a proper burial. :/:banghead:

 

[LeftCoaster]

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4120741-violent-deaths-of-local-women-emphasize-need-for-take-back-the-night-event/

. . .Do you consider rallies such as 'Take Back the Night' to be effective tools for change?

<RSBM>

Greenthumb, I agree with KitchenerCanadian that rallies and vigils are good for awareness. Perhaps awareness can eventually effect change. Take Back the Night is good in its gathering of those who perceive themselves unlikely to personally encounter violence or victimization, with those for whom violence, victimization, stigma, and judgement are simple, constant, facts of life. In the article, the mention that Waterloo Region women's shelters are consistently full and now seeing generational use (! !) tells me that real change is still a long way away. The best part of TBTN is its brief demonstration of solidarity among women of a variety of social tiers. When that solidarity finds its way into every day, everywhere, I am sure I won't be the only one celebrating.

And, as you point out, there continues to be a strange contradiction in WRPS' on the one hand, revealing very little detail about these alarming murders, but on the other, appealing to the public for information. Few of us are so psychic! (And those who consider themselves psychic are more often than not dismissed as flaky opportunists, but I digress.) The not-very-subtle judgementalism in this area toward the women who have been killed, that they somehow made choices that contributed to their deaths, is sickening.

I will be attending the march on Thursday, and am interested in seeing and hearing how the memories of the dead women are upheld there.

 

[greenthumb]

Thank you, KitchenerCanadian & Leftcoaster for your posts. I agree that Thursday night's rally does provide an opportunity to bring these murders back into the public eye... and every single one of them needs that exposure, since public interest/concern drops off so quickly in the absence of media reports.

And that is an interesting perpective, LeftC, about bringing women of different socio-economic groups together in solidarity. The discounting of the value of the lives of 'working girls' may be as prevalent amongst women as men, sad to say - and the gap between those who are 'on the street' and those who are not, is vast. So, very valid point about the value of a public opportunity for 'the sisterhood' to unite, however brief.

I do wonder if perhaps WRP released more information, some memories may be jogged, or citizens may suddenly realize that they may hold critical information that relates to one of these cases. I think WRP should release details that may help citizens 'connect the dots', so to speak. No one can do their civic duty and come forward if they do not realize that something they saw, they heard or they know is critical to an investigation.

The commonly accepted principle that justice must be seen to be done comes to mind... similarly, in order for a police force to serve its community well and deserve the respect of the citizens it protects, I believe it must be seen to be impartial and even-handed across the board, regardless of the victim's lifestyle or circumstances. The investigations into these recent cases of murdered women in K-W leave me questioning how well the WRP force is doing in that regard.

 

[swedie]

Speaking of the Bosma investigation, I'm certain we are well into the six digits, heading to the seven digit mark now in this investigation. What I find totally disturbing is the disappearance of L Babcock who was known by DM and had (suggested by LE) the same sort of career choice of CT. AGAIN another woman failed, LE didn't seem to be "interested" in investigation further for answers. It is so terribly WRONG IMO.

Now that we learnt the death of TB, there is now renewed interest in investigating LB's disappearance. I'm disgusted, totally disgusted. IMHO every person deserves the best investigation possible regardless of the expense. Loved ones deserve to have closure and lay their loved ones to rest with respect and decency.

I sure hope KPS are doing more investigating behind the scene and will revisit the dump searching for CT's remains. She deserves nothing but this bit of respect IMHO.

RIP Catherine.

 

[greenthumb]

Speaking of the Bosma investigation, I'm certain we are well into the six digits, heading to the seven digit mark now in this investigation. What I find totally disturbing is the disappearance of L Babcock who was known by DM and had (suggested by LE) the same sort of career choice of CT. AGAIN another woman failed, LE didn't seem to be "interested" in investigation further for answers. It is so terribly WRONG IMO.

Now that we learnt the death of TB, there is now renewed interest in investigating LB's disappearance. I'm disgusted, totally disgusted. IMHO every person deserves the best investigation possible regardless of the expense. Loved ones deserve to have closure and lay their loved ones to rest with respect and decency.

I sure hope KPS are doing more investigating behind the scene and will revisit the dump searching for CT's remains. She deserves nothing but this bit of respect IMHO.

RIP Catherine.

So often, such 'working women' have been miserably failed in life, by life - which I believe is all the more reason that they should not be failed in death. And yet they are - because they are regarded as the 'disposables' of our society. The message is clear - from LE & the public, who do not protest - some lives are worth more than others in our society. And I can only speculate as to why the families do not press LE or protest, loudly & publicly, about the lack of interest/resources/will devoted to the investigation and prosecution of those who murdered their loved ones... sadly, I believe they are ashamed to demand better.

 

[LeftCoaster]

So often, such 'working women' have been miserably failed in life, by life - which I believe is all the more reason that they should not be failed in death. And yet they are - because they are regarded as the 'disposables' of our society. The message is clear - from LE & the public, who do not protest - some lives are worth more than others in our society. And I can only speculate as to why the families do not press LE or protest, loudly & publicly, about the lack of interest/resources/will devoted to the investigation and prosecution of those who murdered their loved ones... sadly, I believe they are ashamed to demand better.

http://www.therecord.com/news-story...im-did-not-appear-to-have-enemies-police-say/

Thaler said May was not a sex-trade worker and was not involved in the drug subculture.

"She was actually very opposed to it," Thaler said.

May had limited financial means, Thaler said, and did not have a social media or internet presence. She was not known to police for any criminal activity, he added.

Officers went door-to-door in the Margaret Avenue neighbourhood on Tuesday, speaking to residents as they try to piece together the final days of May's life.

"It will likely be information from the public that will help solve this homicide," Thaler said. "It will be very important that the public takes an interest in this."

<BBM>

So, here we go:facepalm:. I woke to a newscast on a local radio station that obviously was based on this report. Thanks, Insp. Thaler, for letting us know that we can take this case a little more seriously, since this female murder victim was "actually very opposed" to the sex trade and drug subculture, and had few enemies that LE can discern.

:headache:

I'm horrified at another killing so close to home, and hope that justice is served for Mary Anne May as much as the others - Catherine Todd included, obviously. However, this area and its LE really need a good headshake when it comes to the allocation of resources based on value judgements.:moo:

 

[greenthumb]

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222866

Thread for Mary-Anne May started at link.

 

[swedie]

I would like to know how LE came to the conclusion she was at the dump in the first place. Were they going on something he said or did someone give them that info?

What's with the SECOND degree charges; how about FIRST! Sounds like the is talking in order for them to decide first or second. Now if he would only tell them WHERE she is so Catherine can be buried with some dignity. RIP Catherine.

Search for Catherine Todd may have focused on wrong part of landfill
When Waterloo Regional Police spent six weeks searching the Waterloo Regional Landfill for the body of Catherine Todd, were they looking in the wrong spot?

Todd, a 48-year-old Kitchener resident, was last seen on March 18.
A second-degree murder charge was laid a few days later against James Parise of Kitchener.

The charges against Parise continue to move through the court system. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February.

Read more: http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/search-...rong-part-of-landfill-1.1463450#ixzz2hLB56nBa

Difference Between First and Second Degree Murder

First degree murder falls into one of the following two categories:
Premeditated, intentional killings
Felony murder

While second degree murder is either:
An unplanned, intentional killing; or
A death caused by a reckless disregard for human life
Putting aside felony murder, the real difference between first and second degree murder is the degree of intent under which the defendant acted when carrying out the killing.

First degree murder requires that a defendant plan and intentionally carry out the killing, whereas second degree murder requires that the killing either be intentional or reckless, and occur in the spur of the moment.

http://blogs.findlaw.com/blotter/2011/08/difference-between-first-second-degree-murder.html

 

[Catchew]

<RSBM>

"Yet again," indeed. I've noticed in nearly every instance of media coverage of this case, that the landfill search cost and personnel involvement is cited even before details of what happened! It IS wrong. As I wrote in another post, either here or on the Kelsey Felker thread, neither LE, nor the media, nor the public, seems to have learned anything from the Pickton horror out west. And to all "bad dates" out there, the message seems to be, by all means discard your victim and any other evidence at a landfill site, because now you have ready information about the scale and scope of how your crime will be covered up - literally. JP can pretty much say whatever he wants about what happened, and since Catherine Todd allegedly was providing sexual services to him, well... it was her risk, right? WRONG. Wrong, wrong, and wrong.

I have done online searches to find references to the cost of the search for Tim Bosma, and of the ensuing homicide investigation - to no avail. Way more resources have been brought into that one, from (at a minimum) four different branches of LE - but nary a single, "Three exhaustive searches of Dellen Millard's farm have cost $_______ and # people from the OPP, HPS, Toronto, and WRPS put in # hours without any results," has turned up in the media. Or if it has, it's been a hard-to-find afterthought after a recap of the case and the people affected.

That is in no way to understate the terrible, awful nightmare of what the Bosma family and Ancaster area have endured, or to diminish the murder of Tim Bosma himself. For that matter, the murder of Audrey Gleave, in the same area, is becoming to all appearances a cold case, but we haven't had associated costs of the investigation trotted out by way of a subtle judgement of the life she is perceived to have led.

GT, I agree:



http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitch...body-may-have-looked-in-wrong-place-1.1862309

Note the immediate reference to the cost here, at the CBC account. And the confirmation that LE were aware they were looking in the wrong place before they called off the search!

The collective shrug is deplorable. And the message unambiguous to all women who live outside of what society deems acceptable.

Yikes.

And to add insult to injury, here we have the accused smiling in court.

http://www.therecord.com/news-story...-set-for-suspect-in-murder-of-catherine-todd/

A muscular man with a shaved head, Parise wore dress clothes to the brief appearance, nodding and smiling several times at his girlfriend in the back row.

 

[swedie]

And to add insult to injury, here we have the accused smiling in court.

http://www.therecord.com/news-story...-set-for-suspect-in-murder-of-catherine-todd/

And IMHO to be smiling at who...his girlfriend. Ewww WTH? I sure hope this girlfriend isn't really his girlfriend, just in court to hear what transpired.

I would think in order for him to get second degree, he must have done some talking claiming in heat of passion, self defense or maybe strung out on drugs and had no idea wth he was doing. Either way he's a .

A muscular man with a shaved head, hmm wonder if he's still getting his fix of steroids in jail or just working out behind bars.

I assume he was talking soon after his arrest and led LE on a wild goose chase to the dump knowing she was not going to be found there. IMO he doesn't want her found because it will prove first degree murder.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Families of missing push for change

[snip]

In Waterloo Region, there are 20 long-term missing person cases, some dating back to the early 1980s. Trask and other relatives of some of those missing people have formed an informal support group, and they're pushing for changes.

[snip]

Police aren't allowed to access Canada's DNA database for criminals unless there's proof of a crime in a missing person case. It's not against the law, after all, for an adult to disappear.

Investigators are also barred by privacy rules intended to protect medical information from tracing the use of a missing person's health card. Even if they have the family's consent to check those records, the Ministry of Health won't allow it.

[snip]

Investigative resources are key, because timing is key. When it comes to solving missing person cases, the first few days are always crucial, Dorling said.

The case of Catherine Todd is a prime example. Todd was reported missing in March 2013. Within a few days, police learned information that changed their investigation into a criminal investigation — a designation that instantly increased their searching powers and gave them access to crucial records.

A week later, Kitchener's James Parise, 25, was picked up in Stratford and charged with second-degree murder. And although Todd's body has never been found, despite a massive, eight-week search of the local landfill, her family was able to get some semblance of closure knowing she was dead and held a memorial service.

More: http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4322604-families-of-missing-push-for-change/

 

[greenthumb]

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4361742-james-parise-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter-in-beating-death-of-catherine-todd/

James Parise has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the March 2013 beating death of Catherine Todd in her Kitchener apartment.

BBM

Charged with second degree murder, reduced to manslaughter - so was the Crown not confident in getting a conviction for murder without her body? No wonder he was smiling at his last court appearance. :furious::furious:

 

[LeftCoaster]

Charged with second degree murder, reduced to manslaughter - so was the Crown not confident in getting a conviction for murder without her body? No wonder he was smiling at his last court appearance. :furious::furious:

:scream: Seems that way, GT. All we can hope from here is that the :censored: gets the maximum sentence for manslaughter and some drug charges, and doesn't get out :jail: for a long, long time. Sadly, the culture in prison will likely just give him a safe place to keep his musculature buff. Ugh. Nice message to send future killers around here: provided it's just a sex worker (or, as it was termed in the article, "prostitute"), and the body is chucked into a landfill to ensure it's unrecoverable, cover your tracks, boys - we'll call it manslaughter and no more questions. I have a creepy feeling that the :censored: who dismembered Kelsey Felker will similarly be able to plead to lesser charges, never mind he's known to be a . The precedent has been upheld.

Disgusted. RIP Catherine Todd, despite how you have been dishonoured today.