to his hands. The murder weapon — a blood-stained metal bar — was discovered nearby, along with a knapsack full of clothing. Albert’s wallet and vehicle were missing.
Reconstructing the timeline, investigators concluded that he had been viciously assaulted shortly after punching his card for work. The battered attendant was rushed immediately to the emergency room at St. Michael’s Hospital to have surgery performed on his scalp. Meanwhile, a solemn policeman assured the Philip family that Albert’s attacker would be found and punished. The promise would go unbroken.
The Wolf and the Woodcutter
Until the 1991/92 torture-murders committed by Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, the community of St. Catharines, Ontario, had been considered largely untainted by violent crime. The events of January 22, 1990, were a shocking exception.
At 1:15 p.m. that day, twenty-eight-year-old Sandie Bellows parked outside a local credit union. As she exited the vehicle, she spotted a man with long blond hair seated in a mid-eighties estate car. The two exchanged smiles, and the newlywed Sandie continued to the credit union to conduct her business. After returning to her car, she was putting the keys in the ignition when she felt a cold blade against her neck.
“Shut up!” the blond man barked, no longer smiling. “Get over!” He pushed Sandie over to the passenger side, and climbed into the driver’s seat. Terrified, she repeatedly begged him to release her as he drove the car out of the parking lot and onto the road, heading west. Her abductor responded by threatening to stab her if she didn’t shut up and pay attention. He informed her that he was on the run from the police, and that he and Sandie had to look like a married couple. If she complied, he promised to set her free once he was out of harm’s way.
“When the police find you,” his green eyes pierced the windshield, “make sure you tell them that I was a real nice guy.” The man claimed his name was John, and that something that he hadn’t meant to happen had gone “really, really wrong.”
“I don’t want to know anything,” Sandie sobbed. John’s behaviour was already disturbingly erratic; though he seemed to be trying to befriend her, he continued to remind her that if she screwed up he would kill her.
Just over an hour into their flight west, John veered the car into a wooded area near Paris, Ontario. Realizing that if he tried to kill her nobody would hear her screams, Sandie began to panic. Worse yet, her captor’s mood had taken a turn.
“What are you doing?” Sandie protested. “You promised to let me go.”
“I’m going to have some fun with you,” he responded. “I’m going to rape you.” John forced her into the back seat and beat her into submission. As John penetrated her, Sandie could only think that she would soon be murdered. Fortunately, a valiant woodcutter was coming to her rescue. While logging in the forest, retired Ontario provincial policeman Alan Pike spotted Sandie’s car and drove his tractor over to investigate. Alarmed by Pike’s approach, John warned Sandie to “get up and not do anything stupid.” As her attacker climbed out the right rear door and began to pull his pants up, Sandie sprang from the back seat and ran toward the forest. Before she knew it, John had struck her forehead, knocking her to the ground. Al Pike threw the tractor into full throttle as the blond man kicked the helpless woman in the skull. John then began stabbing a blade repeatedly into Sandie’s torso. Luckily, Alan Pike had an axe lying on the tractor floor. As John raised the blood-stained knife to deliver a fatal blow through Sandie’s breast, he spotted Pike hurrying toward him. Leaping aside, John sprinted back to Sandie’s car, and with a screech of tires began to pull away. Adrenaline surging, Pike followed and managed to shatter the right rear window with his axe. The relentless retiree attempted to climb into the departing
Reconstructing the timeline, investigators concluded that he had been viciously assaulted shortly after punching his card for work. The battered attendant was rushed immediately to the emergency room at St. Michael’s Hospital to have surgery performed on his scalp. Meanwhile, a solemn policeman assured the Philip family that Albert’s attacker would be found and punished. The promise would go unbroken.
The Wolf and the Woodcutter
Until the 1991/92 torture-murders committed by Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, the community of St. Catharines, Ontario, had been considered largely untainted by violent crime. The events of January 22, 1990, were a shocking exception.
At 1:15 p.m. that day, twenty-eight-year-old Sandie Bellows parked outside a local credit union. As she exited the vehicle, she spotted a man with long blond hair seated in a mid-eighties estate car. The two exchanged smiles, and the newlywed Sandie continued to the credit union to conduct her business. After returning to her car, she was putting the keys in the ignition when she felt a cold blade against her neck.
“Shut up!” the blond man barked, no longer smiling. “Get over!” He pushed Sandie over to the passenger side, and climbed into the driver’s seat. Terrified, she repeatedly begged him to release her as he drove the car out of the parking lot and onto the road, heading west. Her abductor responded by threatening to stab her if she didn’t shut up and pay attention. He informed her that he was on the run from the police, and that he and Sandie had to look like a married couple. If she complied, he promised to set her free once he was out of harm’s way.
“When the police find you,” his green eyes pierced the windshield, “make sure you tell them that I was a real nice guy.” The man claimed his name was John, and that something that he hadn’t meant to happen had gone “really, really wrong.”
“I don’t want to know anything,” Sandie sobbed. John’s behaviour was already disturbingly erratic; though he seemed to be trying to befriend her, he continued to remind her that if she screwed up he would kill her.
Just over an hour into their flight west, John veered the car into a wooded area near Paris, Ontario. Realizing that if he tried to kill her nobody would hear her screams, Sandie began to panic. Worse yet, her captor’s mood had taken a turn.
“What are you doing?” Sandie protested. “You promised to let me go.”
“I’m going to have some fun with you,” he responded. “I’m going to rape you.” John forced her into the back seat and beat her into submission. As John penetrated her, Sandie could only think that she would soon be murdered. Fortunately, a valiant woodcutter was coming to her rescue. While logging in the forest, retired Ontario provincial policeman Alan Pike spotted Sandie’s car and drove his tractor over to investigate. Alarmed by Pike’s approach, John warned Sandie to “get up and not do anything stupid.” As her attacker climbed out the right rear door and began to pull his pants up, Sandie sprang from the back seat and ran toward the forest. Before she knew it, John had struck her forehead, knocking her to the ground. Al Pike threw the tractor into full throttle as the blond man kicked the helpless woman in the skull. John then began stabbing a blade repeatedly into Sandie’s torso. Luckily, Alan Pike had an axe lying on the tractor floor. As John raised the blood-stained knife to deliver a fatal blow through Sandie’s breast, he spotted Pike hurrying toward him. Leaping aside, John sprinted back to Sandie’s car, and with a screech of tires began to pull away. Adrenaline surging, Pike followed and managed to shatter the right rear window with his axe. The relentless retiree attempted to climb into the departing
Similar Books
