Post by Joanna on Aug 18, 2017 23:46:04 GMT -5
12-Year-Old Girl Who Murdered Family Set Free
Canadians were shocked when they learned of the Richardson family’s brutal murder, which was planned and committed by their 12-year-old daughter, Jasmine (above right), and her older boyfriend, Jeremy Steinke (left). After spending 10 years in psychiatric facilities and under constant supervision, Jasmine was set free in 2016. However, people are divided on whether or not Jasmine should be allowed to freely join society once again.
It was the crime that shocked an entire country. People cannot and will not forget the bloody crime committed in Medicine Hat, Alberta, in April 2006, by Jasmine Richardson and Steinke, her then 23-year-old boyfriend. It was a horrific story that came to light on April 23, 2006, when a young boy saw dead people through the window of the family home. When the police arrived, they discovered the corpses of Marc Richardson, his wife, Debra, and their eight-year-old son, Jacob, lying in pools of congealed blood. Later, it was learned that Jasmine took part in the killings. People who were horrified by the crime have been wondering where Jasmine Richardson is now. According to reports, she is free from court-ordered supervision and has a new identity.
Bad Influence. What drove a 12-year-old girl to plan and execute her family? It all started when Jasmine’s parents objected to her relationship with Steinke. The two met at a local punk rock show in 2006 and both identified with the Goth culture, wearing dark clothing, which made Richardson appear older than her 12 years. The two also belonged to an online social media community called VampireFreaks.com, where Richardson listed her age as 15 and went by the name “Runaway Devil.” Steinke told Jasmine that he was, in fact, a 300-year-old werewolf, something the 12-year-old apparently believed.
A Frenzy of Violence. When her parents interfered and would not allow her to date Steinke, the girl hatched a plan to get rid of them. In an email to Steinke, she wrote: “I have a plan. It begins with me killing them and ends with me living with you.” Steinke agreed to carry out the murders and worked on the details. The night before the killings, they watched their favorite movie Natural Born Killers, which is about a pair of lovers who go on a murder spree – beginning with the girl’s family. The similarity between the film and the Richardson murders is unnerving. Wearing a mask and armed with a knife, Steinke first stabbed Debra multiple times. When Marc came to his wife’s aid, he, too, was stabbed to death. It was a bloody, violent attack that resulted in both their deaths. Jasmine then stabbed her younger brother, Jacob, multiple times and even slashed his throat.
Crime and Punishment. The police initially suspected the killer kidnaped Jasmine and began a frantic search for the girl. Soon, she and Steinke were found and investigation revealed it was Jasmine who plotted the crime and convinced Steinke to carry it out. In June 2007, at the age of 14, Richardson was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to 10 years – the maximum for a minor in Canada. Jasmine was committed to a psychiatric hospital for four years, then spent another four-and-a-half years under conditional community supervision. She was allowed to attend Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, during the final years of her sentence. Steinke was sentenced to three life sentences.
A New Beginning? On May 6, 2016, Richardson was freed from all conditions, restrictions and supervision by the court. She reportedly expressed remorse at the time of her final hearing. Throughout the proceedings, she was referred to only as “J.R.,” because she was a minor at the time of the murders and Canadian law prohibits the publication of full names in such crimes. Now, efforts are underway for her rehabilitation, but not everyone is convinced she deserves it. They aren’t sure if Jasmine Richardson should be allowed to live among ordinary people unsupervised. One woman told the CBC: “If you’re old enough to do the crime, you should do the time.” However, some of Richardson’s neighbors in Medicine Hat said, “Jasmine should be given a second chance.”
Source: Naveen Rao, Earn the Necklace, August 2, 2017.