The verdict in this BC dad's murder trial is expected sometime this week. Here are the facts of the case:
Allan Schoenborn is a Vancouver man charged with killing his 3 children aged 10, 8 and 5. He is charged with first degree murder in the April 2008 killing.
Case for the Defence:
- When he killed them, "he was on an entirely different planet."
- Allan believed his children were being sexually abused
- Says he killed to protect them and couldnt let his children endure being molested
- Thought they were "destined to suffer a fate worse than death."
- He had no option if he wanted to protect them, except kill them
- He believed it was moral and right to do that
- Two experts say he suffers from a major mental illness
- Should be found not criminally responsible for the crimes because of his mental state
Case for the Defence:
- When he killed them, "he was on an entirely different planet."
- Allan believed his children were being sexually abused
- Says he killed to protect them and couldnt let his children endure being molested
- Thought they were "destined to suffer a fate worse than death."
- He had no option if he wanted to protect them, except kill them
- He believed it was moral and right to do that
- Two experts say he suffers from a major mental illness
- Should be found not criminally responsible for the crimes because of his mental state
- "The reality he saw was his children were at great risk, that they were destined to suffer a fate worse than death and he had no option but to kill them."
- The defence says the killings were the culmination of two decades of mental illness by a man who suffered paranoid delusions dating back to 1987.
- An altercation at a bus station and incident at his daughter's school where he accused teachers of prostituting her in the days before the killings are evidence of Schoenborn's declining mental state
- To him, killing them was the only sensible course of action.
- Never told anyone before the killings that he feared his children were being sexually abused- meaning he was psychotic and delusional when he stabbed them
- Killed his children out of love and was blinded by delusion
- No witnesses to say that he was seeking revenge (Crown's notion)
- Long history of mental illness
- No evidence that he was angry at his partner (like the Crown says)
- Never told anyone before the killings that he feared his children were being sexually abused- meaning he was psychotic and delusional when he stabbed them
- Killed his children out of love and was blinded by delusion
- No witnesses to say that he was seeking revenge (Crown's notion)
- Long history of mental illness
- No evidence that he was angry at his partner (like the Crown says)
- Schoenborn said he tried to kill himself at home, but failed and instead ran to the mountains where he again tried to commit suicide.
- He was found in the woods 10 days later, dehydrated and suffering self-inflicted wounds.
The children's bodies were found by their mother in their Merritt, B.C., home on April 6, 2008.
- The defence is arguing that Schoenborn should be found not criminally responsible for the killings due to mental disorder
Case for the Crown:
- No evidence to support he was psychotic when he killed children in sleep
- Even if he was mentally ill, he knew what he was doing was wrong
- Killed because seeking revenge against his wife who left him after 15 years together
- Allan has testified in detail how he stabbed, strangled and smothered his children
Case for the Crown:
- No evidence to support he was psychotic when he killed children in sleep
- Even if he was mentally ill, he knew what he was doing was wrong
- Killed because seeking revenge against his wife who left him after 15 years together
- Allan has testified in detail how he stabbed, strangled and smothered his children
- He told the court that the girl fought back, putting her hand up and crying out "I'm sorry, Daddy, I'm sorry," and then pulled his hair as he slashed her neck.
- He separated the three children before killing each one separately. - No evidence the children were abused
- Crown psychiatrist interviewed Allan and said he was lucid and aware of the situation
- Examined Allan right after arrested and said he didnt see signs of mental illness and none were reported by medical staff
- Crown psychiatrist interviewed Allan and said he was lucid and aware of the situation
- Examined Allan right after arrested and said he didnt see signs of mental illness and none were reported by medical staff
- Crown contends the killings were an act of revenge against the children's mother.
- Crown says Allan Schoenborn concocted the self-serving explanation for his crime, and should be found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder.
- Schoenborn never told anyone of his fears the children were being abused.
- Bizarre incidents in the days prior to the murders were caused by alcohol, and insisted there were no cases of Schoenborn showing symptoms of illness before or after he was arrested.
- Court has heard that Schoenborn has never been diagnosed with a mental illness.
- Schoenborn described in grisly detail stabbing and suffocating his daughter to death and then smothering his young sons.
- He told the court that his daughter struggled with him as he slashed her neck with a cleaver, telling him "I'm sorry, daddy, I'm sorry." He suffocated the boys with a pillow and a plastic bag.
He has been in custody since he was found, emaciated, hypothermic and with self-inflicted wounds to his arms, in the woods near the community of Merritt following a 10-day manhunt.
There's been no evidence presented at the trial that the children were, in fact, being sexually molested.
- Three psychiatrists testified at the trial - one who told the court that Schoenborn was mentally ill, one who said he found signs of paranoia but did not believe the accused was mentally ill and another who said he could not be sure of the man's motives when he killed the children.
No comments:
Post a Comment