Before this is read, I am warning you that is going to be a post that is a dark part of my family history that nobody talks about. This is still a raw subject for us all, so please everyone don’t make fun of what I am about to tell you.
It was on January 27th, 2008 in Bridgewater Nova Scotia. her mom Penny Boudreau told police she had “disappeared” after an argument outside of a grocery store. Her mother Penny had went into the grocery store, and returned ten minutes later to find out that her daughter had disappeared.
On February 9th, 2008. Two weeks after she was reported missing, she was found. At the bottom of the LaHave river valley, lay her body half covered in snow. Her pants and underwear had been pulled down to around her knees, looking like she was sexually assaulted. Her death was labelled as a homicide by police.
Wendy Rhodenizer said, “She loved music, stuffed animals, and her dreams were to one day become a veterinarian.”
When they first discovered her body, everyone was shocked.
A few days before her body was found, her mom had made an emotional appeal on the news, hoping her daughter would see it and come home.
When her body was discovered, police said the investigation could take days, weeks or even months.
It wasn’t until June 14th, when her mother was arrested. The police had suspicions that she had done it, but no solid evidence to make it stick. So they had a few cops go under cover and act as if they were gangsters, they tried to convince Penny that all evidence on her would be destroyed. Before they knew it, she started talking about what really happened.
It was believed that the day she was reported missing, was the day she actually died. After the argument her mother had taking her to the desert area, where they had yet again another argument. Her mother ordered her to get out of the vehicle and before Karissa knew it, her mom tackled her to the ground and placed her knee upon Karissa’s chest, grabbed the twine and started strangling her. Penny had said that Karissa’s last words were “mommy, don’t.” Penny remembered Karissa’s body going limp. After she was dead, Penny had taken Karissa to the LaHave river, pulled down her pants and underwear to stage a sexual assault and pushed her down the side of the river bank. When she had gotten home, she had called the police with a cover up to what really happened.
Penny had said she killed her daughter because her boyfriend said that she had to choose between Karissa or her.
Penny Boudreau was convicted of second degree murder, and sentenced to life in prison for no chance of parole for 20 years. And when her chance of parole comes up, I will be there to make sure she stays were she belongs!
This is historically significant to my family and I because on January 27th, 2008 we lost an amazing person who was so innocent. She will forever go down in our family history, we loved her for who she was and she didn’t deserve to die the way she did. This is also historically significant because it shapes the way our family is, and will always will be. Not to us directly, but as our family as a whole. My great Uncle Barry was the father of Penny, and Karissa was Penny’s daughter. I remember hearing about the day she died, I was 7 years old and my mom sat me down at the table and broke the news to me, I remember crying a lot and hugging her very tight. I was supposed to meet her that summer, but I never got the chance to. I still remember talking to her on the phone a lot and listening to her tell me amazing story’s. She loved music, just the way I do now. I miss her day in and day out, every time I play my instrument, I play it for her because I know that’s what she would have done!
Not only is this significant to me but it is significant to Bridgewater, Nova Scotia as well. Why? Well, Bridgewater is a small town where everyone knows each other and tend to be closer than a normal city that we are all used to. Which means that when something happens within the town, everyone is affected by it. Just like Karissa’s homicide. Everyone was shocked and heartbroken with what had happened, especially knowing that Penny had for sure murdered her daughter. In the small town there isn’t as many homicides compared to the city, so when this occurred. Everyone’s jaw dropped and everyone was shaken by this.
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/How-Karissa-died38721547.html
This link provided is a much more detailed version of what had happened
Leave a Reply