Primary Country (Mandatory)

United States

Other Country (Optional)

Set News Language for United States

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language[s] (Optional)
No other language available

Set News Language for World

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language(s) (Optional)

Set News Source for United States

Primary Source (Mandatory)
CNN
Other Source[s] (Optional)

Set News Source for World

Primary Source (Mandatory)
AajTak
Other Source(s) (Optional)
  • Countries
    • India
    • United States
    • Qatar
    • Germany
    • China
    • Canada
    • World
  • Categories
    • National
    • International
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
    • Special
    • All Categories
  • Available Languages for United States
    • English
  • All Languages
    • English
    • Hindi
    • Arabic
    • German
    • Chinese
    • French
  • Sources
    • India
      • AajTak
      • NDTV India
      • The Hindu
      • India Today
      • Zee News
      • NDTV
      • BBC
      • The Wire
      • News18
      • News 24
      • The Quint
      • ABP News
      • Zee News
      • News 24
    • United States
      • CNN
      • Fox News
      • Al Jazeera
      • CBSN
      • NY Post
      • Voice of America
      • The New York Times
      • HuffPost
      • ABC News
      • Newsy
    • Qatar
      • Al Jazeera
      • Al Arab
      • The Peninsula
      • Gulf Times
      • Al Sharq
      • Qatar Tribune
      • Al Raya
      • Lusail
    • Germany
      • DW
      • ZDF
      • ProSieben
      • RTL
      • n-tv
      • Die Welt
      • Süddeutsche Zeitung
      • Frankfurter Rundschau
    • China
      • China Daily
      • BBC
      • The New York Times
      • Voice of America
      • Beijing Daily
      • The Epoch Times
      • Ta Kung Pao
      • Xinmin Evening News
    • Canada
      • CBC
      • Radio-Canada
      • CTV
      • TVA Nouvelles
      • Le Journal de Montréal
      • Global News
      • BNN Bloomberg
      • Métro
Rose Gold Mesh Women's Watch Buy Now
Summer Satin Dress Elegant Sleeveless Buy Now
ONESO Wide Leg Jeans for Women Buy Now
Men's Casual Blazer Buy Now
Men's Straight-Fit Pant Buy Now
Oil Sprayer for Cooking Buy Now
Cross Pendant Necklace Buy Now
Women's Crochet Summer Top Buy Now
COOFANDY Men's Linen Shirt Buy Now
COOFANDY Men's Slim Fit Knit Sweater Buy Now
ASUS Vivobook Go 14 L410 Ultra Thin Laptop Buy Now
JMIERR Men's Casual Shorts Buy Now
Into the AM Men's T-Shirt Buy Now
OYOANGLE Mens Baggy Dress Pants Buy Now
AUTOMET Long Sleeve Tee Buy Now
Medicube Age-R Pro Glass Skin Massager Buy Now
Women's Wide Leg Pants with Pockets Buy Now
Cremo Italian Bergamot Body Wash Buy Now
Wide Brim Straw Panama Hat Buy Now
HeatGear Compression Long-Sleeve T-Shirt Buy Now
MoreBack to News Headlines
How Jeremy Skibicki's 'unusual' defence compares to other serial killer cases

How Jeremy Skibicki's 'unusual' defence compares to other serial killer cases

CBC
Sunday, June 2, 2024 1:51 PM GMT

WARNING: This story contains distressing details.

Admitted Winnipeg serial killer Jeremy Skibicki's plan to argue he's not criminally responsible in the deaths of four women due to a mental disorder strikes several experts as "unusual" — including the forensic psychiatrist who assessed some of Canada's most notorious killers.

Dr. John Bradford has evaluated murderers including Paul Bernardo, Robert Pickton and Russell Williams, all of whom were convicted in notorious serial sexually motivated killings.

Bernardo, along with then-wife Karla Homolka, sexually assaulted and killed three teenage girls in Ontario, including Homolka's sister. Pickton, who recently died in hospital, was convicted in 2007 of killing six sex workers and suspected of killing many more. Williams, a disgraced former Canadian Forces colonel, killed two women, sexually assaulted two others and broke into the homes of dozens of Ontario women and girls.

Bradford said it would be very difficult for someone to be found not criminally responsible, or NCR, in those types of killings. In all three of those cases, he found the accused weren't eligible, in part because of how much planning and organization went into their crimes.

"They have to find a victim. They have to persuade them and abduct them and, you know, they have to go to various means to do that. And then usually afterwards there's some disposition of the body in a way to avoid being arrested or being found guilty," Bradford said from Nova Scotia.

"All of that goes against … I'm generalizing, [but] when people are psychotic, they tend to be disorganized in what they do."

While not criminally responsible cases can involve multiple homicides or a series of crimes over a longer period of time, the two don't typically go together in the type of "brutal violence over a course of several weeks or months" that Skibicki has admitted to, said Anita Szigeti, a longtime Toronto mental health litigator who has represented not criminally responsible clients for nearly 30 years.

"I have, you know, hundreds of clients a year. And I don't think I've seen anyone come into the system with this pattern of offending since I've been doing the work," said Szigeti, an author of the Canadian Anthology on Mental Health and the Law.

Though Skibicki's bid to argue he's not criminally responsible is "quite unorthodox," it's less surprising given the evidence, including a videotaped confession to the killings during his police interview, said Brandon Trask, an assistant professor who teaches mental health and criminal law at the University of Manitoba.

"It would have been extremely challenging for the defence to argue, based on that evidence, that Mr. Skibicki should be found not guilty," said Trask. "One argument that was still remaining for them to make was in relation to the pursuit of this finding of NCR."

Skibicki's defence will present its case for why a not criminally responsible finding when the trial resumes Monday. Court has heard the Crown and defence each had their own experts assess the accused's mental state.

Prosecutors have alleged that over two months in 2022, Skibicki, 37, preyed on vulnerable women at Winnipeg homeless shelters before taking them back to his apartment, killing them and engaging in "vile sexual acts with their bodies." Court has heard Skibicki was seen on surveillance video throwing out the remains of the women, some of whom he had dismembered, in garbage bins near his apartment building. 

Skibicki has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in connection with the killings of Morgan Harris, 39, Marcedes Myran, 26, and Rebecca Contois, 24 — all of whom were from First Nations in Manitoba — as well as the death of an as-yet unidentified woman who has been given the name Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, or Buffalo Woman, by community leaders. Police have said they believe she was also Indigenous and in her 20s.

Read full story on CBC
Share this story on:-
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running GamePlay Run 3, the ultimate space tunnel running game with 300+ challenging levels!Adv.
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing GameTraffic Jam 3D is a game where you’ll be driving through heavy traffic.Adv.
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic GamePlay the classic 1984 light gun shooter game Duck Hunt on your browser.Adv.
More Related News
Sask. MMA fighter 'Big Game' Hunter Lee has sights set on UFC

Saskatoon mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter 'Big Game' Hunter Lee is stalking his prey all the way to Florida.

Sask.'s new privacy commissioner on her office's role in an era of AI

Saskatchewan's new information and privacy commissioner says a life-long passion for serving as a check on government power will help her excel in the new role.

Annexation blues: Residents in Edmonton's future growth area grapple with growing pains

Nearly six years after Edmonton's biggest annexation in decades, residents who live in what the city calls its future growth area are anxious about what is to come. 

Victoria, Saanich to work on amalgation question for next municipal election

The municipalities of Victoria and Saanich have taken steps towards amalgamation this week, with councillors in the capital city directing staff to work with Saanich staff to put together a short question that would be added to the ballot in the October 2026 local elections. 

No online voting in Hamilton's next municipal elections, says council, despite staff's recommendation

After lively discussion from Hamilton city councillors on Wednesday about the pros and cons of online voting, they decided it won't be used in upcoming elections.

Pedestrian taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after being hit by vehicle in Windsor

Police say a woman was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after a collision Thursday afternoon in the area of Tecumseh Road East and Princess Avenue in Windsor.

Highway 2 expansion through Red Deer wetland prompts conservation concerns

The provincial government is expanding Alberta's busiest highway, but some are worried wetlands near Red Deer will be lost to make way for the widened route. 

Federal agency launches revised growth strategy for northern Ontario

The federal government has launched its newly-revised Prosperity and Growth Strategy for Northern Ontario, a document that aims to address the region's economic challenges and opportunities over the next five years.

Rare black bear sighting in Erin, Ont., prompts safety warning from police

A small black bear has been spotted in Erin, Ont., prompting a warning from police.

Charlottetown hospital ER is keeping pace with influx of tourists so far this season, official says

An administrator at P.E.I.'s largest hospital says staff have been able to keep up with the surge of tourists who need to seek medical care after arriving on the Island, despite longtime strains on the health-care system.

Yukon government plans repair work on Teslin River Bridge

The Government of Yukon is seeking approval to repair damage on the Teslin River Bridge near Johnsons Crossing.

Poilievre tweaks his tone and strategy as he faces must-win byelection, leadership review

Pierre Poilievre was feeling dejected and disappointed after the stinging federal election loss in April, sources close to the Conservative leader said, and he dialed back his public appearances for the better part of two months to reassess his strategy and regroup.

Step-grandmother of missing N.S. kids recalls hearing their voices, followed by 'nothing'

Janie Mackenzie was asleep in her trailer when she awoke to the sound of her dog barking, a telltale sign her two young step-grandchildren were out playing on a swingset in the backyard.

Parking Slot | Free Parking GamePlay Parking Slot, the best online 3D car driving and parking game.Adv.
Slope Ball Run - Play OnlineSlope Game takes you on an exciting journey of a ball on special paths.Adv.
Tourism businesses in Hay River, N.W.T., question gov't priorities with new building project

A longtime business owner in Hay River, N.W.T., is raising concerns about a new government-funded building going up at the town's main beach, a place she says has become mostly unusable after floods and fires in recent years.

Former Afghan interpreter details alleged sexual abuse by Global Affairs employee

WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced​ ​​​sexual violence or know someone affected by it.

'It's a paperweight now': Why the Mounties' ban of popular rifle led to so much pushback

When it comes to Canada's often tense debate around gun laws, most Canadians likely will not have heard of an RCMP database called the Firearms Reference Table, or FRT.

Aid groups rally to help First Nations facing mass food spoilage after northwestern Ontario outages

Aid organizations are ramping up efforts to replenish supplies after power outages across half a dozen First Nations in northwestern Ontario led to mass food spoilage.

2 P.E.I. women dead in southeastern N.B. crash

Two Prince Edward Island women are dead following a single-vehicle crash on Thursday on Route 15 near Shediac.

Mosquitos in Toronto test positive for West Nile virus, but city says risk of infection is low

Toronto Public Health has confirmed some mosquitos in the city have tested positive for West Nile virus, but say the risk of infection is low if precautions are taken.

Tribunal sides with disabled woman denied ultrasound at Calgary clinic

An Alberta woman who filed a human rights complaint after being turned away at a clinic for an ultrasound says she hopes her recent win paves the way for better accommodations for disabled patients.

19-year-old arrested in connection to overdose death of 14-year-old

A 19-year-old St. John's man has been charged with manslaughter in connection to an overdose of youth from four months ago.

Carrying Experience, Swinging with Purpose: a pro caddie's shot at the Idylwylde Men's Invitational

For the first time in 21 years, Kurt Kowaluk is back in his hometown of Sudbury, Ont., for the Men's Idywylde Golf Invitational.

Florenceville Bridge to close for 5 weekends, starting Friday night and spread over 3 months

Only one local bridge remains for Florenceville-Bristol residents who need to drive across the St. John River, and now that bridge will see some full weekend closures starting this weekend.

Montreal not required to pay back $1M to recycling company Ricova

Quebec's Court of Appeal has reversed a lower court's decision requiring the City of Montreal to reimburse $1 million to recycling company Ricova after the company failed to fulfill its contract with the borough of Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (CDN-NDG) in 2017.

Manitoba needs more fire rangers to keep communities safe from future risks, chief says

© 2008 - 2025 Webjosh  |  News Archive  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us