Childhood/ Family:
Dorothy and Karel Homolka gave birth to their oldest daughter Karla Leanne Homolka in Port Credit, Ontario on May 4, 1970. Karla is their oldest daughter following Lori who was born on 1971 and Tammy who was born in 1975-1990. The Homolka family later moved to St. Catherine’s where Karla attended Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School. Karla suffered from asthma in her childhood. Whenever Karla was excited or scared she would get an attack, which was why she visited the hospital a lot. Karla was always an animal lover and she worked part-time at veterinary clinic. Karla was a popular girl at school who was bossy, attractive and an intelligent girl who has an IQ level of 132, her teacher described her as a “good student" (Pron 7).
Interests:
Besides spending time with animals, Karla is a bookworm. She enjoys reading books about witchcraft, Satanism, The Occult and True Crime. Karla’s favourite book is about satanic abuse (Lee 4). Besides spending time with animals, Karla is a bookworm. She enjoys reading books about witchcraft, Satanism, The Occult and True Crime. Karla’s favourite book is about satanic abuse.
Karla meets Paul:
Karla met Paul Bernardo when she was a 17-year-old high school student when she was working at a veterinary clinic. Paul was 23, who was preparing to become an accountant as he studied at University of Toronto. On October 17 1987, Karla and her childhood friend Debbie Purdie were attending a convention in Scarborough (Bardsley 3).Later that night, Karla and Debbie decided to have a late night snack at a restaurant. Paul coincidently happened to walk in, and laid eyes on Karla Homolka, it was love at first sight. Paul’s physical appearance and outgoing personality automatically attracted Karla. Within hours, they were both in Karla’s hotel room having sex. Karla believed that Paul was the man of her dreams. Karla dated many boys in high school but none were like Paul. She bragged to her friends about his maturity and good looks. On December 4, 1989, Paul took Karla for a romantic long drive to Niagara Falls where he proposed to her and she happily accepted. The couple planned to get married in the spring of 1991.
School and Job:
In the spring of 1989, Karla graduated from Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School. Karla was accepted to York University and University of Toronto but she declined the offers because she accepted a job she was offered as a veterinary assistant at Thorold Veterinary Clinic (Williams 2).
The Birth of a Criminal:
Before Paul met Karla, he had already raped fifteen girls, but always managed to escape. He was what every girl feared and was referred as the ‘Scarborough Rapist.’ Paul finally broke it down to Karla and told her he was upset at the fact that Karla was not a virgin when she met Paul. Paul asked Karla if in return she could give him her fifteen-year-old Tammy Homolka’s virginity. Desperately wanting to please Paul, Karla agreed to steal animal tranquillizers and halothane from her clinic and lace Tammy’s food so Paul could rape her (Bradsley 9).Karla referred to Tammy as a Christmas present for her fiancé.
Karla's Insecurity:
Karla was insecure as she was struggling with jealousy. Paul and Tammy’s relationship worried Karla. Paul would spend hours with Tammy and the time he was not with her, he would talk about her. Karla thought once Tammy loses her virginity Paul would not get attracted to her anymore.
Tammy Homolka Victim # 1:
Tammy Lyn Homolka was a grade 10-student known for her athletic skills. She was born on January 1, 1975 and attended Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School. On December 23, 1990 when the Homolka family went to bed, Paul and Karla invited Tammy to stay awake for a few cocktails. Little did Tammy know, her drinks were laced with sleeping pills. Karla also placed animal tranquilizer to keep Tammy asleep while Paul and Karla both raped her. Karla placed halothane on a cloth and put it on her sister’s face while Paul was raping her to make sure she does not wakeup. When it was Karla’s turn, Tammy began to vomit and she chocked to death. Paul and Karla were both terrified; they dressed Tammy, hid the camera that they used to record everything, and called the ambulance. The couple told paramedics that Tammy had a few drinks and passed out. In the early hours of Christmas Eve, she was pronounced dead on December 24, 1990. The doctors were curious about the mysterious burn mark on Tammy’s face but decided that she died of natural causes (Warmington 9).
Moving out:
On February 1, 1991, Paul and Karla moved out of the Homolka house, into a two-story bungalow in Port Dalhousie. Karla gave Paul the idea that they will kidnap girls and make them their sex slaves. When Paul asked when Karla replied, “This summer because winter is too hard” (Williams 20). Karla told Paul that she enjoys and admires sexual charisma. Over the next few years Karla enticed several young girls into their home, drugged, and sexually assaulted them. Unlike her sister Tammy, the young girls survived with no memory of what happened to them.
Leslie Mahaffy Victim # 2:
Leslie Erin Mahaffy was born on July 5, 1976. She lived in Burlington, Ontario and was fourteen years old when she was abducted. Leslie’s mom was disappointment that her daughter constantly comes home late so she decided to give Leslie a lesson and locked the doors. Leslie called her friend and asked if she could sleepover but she refused, Leslie had no choice but to sit on her front porch waiting for her mom to open the door. On June 15, 1991, Paul saw Leslie. Paul offered the young girl a cigarette and called her to his car, when she came he pushed her in her car and drove off. It was only two weeks before Paul and Karla’s big wedding when he woke Karla up for a surprise. The couple blindfolded Leslie, Karla used the same stole drugs from her clinic and used them to subdue Leslie as they preformed sexual acts and recorded them simultaneously. A day later, the couple strangled her, cut her body into pieces, placed it into concrete, and dumped it in Lake Gipson. Anglers found Leslie’s body on Paul and Karla’s wedding day on June 29, 1991, two weeks after she passed away (Laugh 3).
Wedding:
Karla’s parents were not ready to celebrate their daughters wedding since their youngest had just passed away. Karla was outraged because her father was not ready to pay for the wedding and Karla wrote an ominous letter to her best friend. However, that did not keep Karla from postponing her wedding and on June 29, 1991, the couple exchanged vows.
Kristen French Victim # 3:
Kristen French was born on May 10, 1976. Kristen attended Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in which she was an active participant of an ice-skating team and won numerous medals. On April 16, 1992, Paul and Karla were in search for another girl they could use as a ‘sex slave’. The couple was only fifteen miles away from home when they spotted the fifteen-year-old who was walking home from school. They pulled up in a parking lot and Karla called Kristen over by pulling out a map and asking for directions. When Kristen began to help, Paul shoved her in the back seat and they drove off. Karla and Paul kept Kristen for a few days as they continuously beat, assaulted, and videotaped everything on camera. They decided to murder her on April 19, 1992 and threw her naked body in a ditch. On April 30, 1992, her body was found in north Burlington (Cairns 30).
Deal with the Devil:
January 19, 1993 Toronto Police contacted Karla to discuss the DNA results Paul had given in 1990 concerning the Scarborough Rapist case. After a two-year delay, they found her husband to be the Scarborough rapist. After Karla’s interview with the authorities, she broke down and confessed everything to her family. She was worried the police already knew and took her parents advice by hiring a lawyer and telling him Paul is the Scarborough rapist. Karla only agreed to testify against Paul in return for a reduced sentence. She said the Paul forced her to take part in the attacks against her will and that all the physical evidence they needed was in her house. On May 11 1993, Karla’s attorney was able to make a plea agreement with prosecutors, they made a deal with Karla Homlka because they did not have direct evidence and could not find the tapes(Lee 18).When the videos were finally found, the authorities felt misled. They saw her in the videotapes, she was fully participating in the attacks, and if these videos were found earlier, it could have influenced the deal, which everyone now refers as, ‘Deal with the devil.’
Karla’s Trial:
On June 28, 1993, Karla Homolka’s trial began. Karla’s attorney portrayed her as an abused wife who was forced to participate in these acts. On July 1993, Karla received a 12-year sentence and pleaded guilty for two counts of manslaughter for the death of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy (Pron 18). Karla was seen not guilty for the death of Tammy Homolka.
Jail:
In 1993, Karla was sent to Kingston, which was a prison for women and in 1997, Karla was sent to Joliette Institution when Kingston shut down. In Joliette Karla was having an affair with another female named Lynda Veronneau. The Toronto Sun reported Karla Homolka was simultaneously having an affair with a male inmate. They would strip at fences, touch each other sexually and exchange underwear’s.
Paul’s thoughts on Karla:
In court, Paul said that Karla was equally involved in the crimes. It was her idea to kidnap girls and use them as sex slaves. Paul said that unlike his previous girlfriends who left him due to his sadistic behavior Karla was the only girlfriend who encouraged his infamous acts. Paul also said that he was always a rapist but he never killed any human being, it was always Karla who was afraid of letting the girls go free. She also jealous of Tammy and was not upset when she died. She would wear her dead sister’s clothes, impersonate her, and have sex with Paul on her bed. Paul’s father said, “ As far as I am concerned, Karla has got away with it and his free…” (Toronto Star).
Psychiatric Treatment:
On October 9, 2000, Karla Homolka was sent to a prison in Saskatoon that provided her with psychiatric inspection. In the year of 2001, Karla was sent to a hospital in Montreal to get treatment. Dr. Graham Glensky stated that Karla has hybristophilia (Pron 21).
Hybristophilia is a person is sexually attracted to people who commit rape and murder.
Media:
In 2006 Joel Bender directed a movie called Karla, which was based on Karla and Paul’s life. The Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka case grabbed a lot of media attention and many authors began writing about the events that took place. Scott Burnside and Alan Cairns published a book named Deadly Innocence on November 15, 2008 based on the murders and rapes Karla Homolka and Paul. Author Nick Pron also published a book in 2012 titled Lethal Marriage, which concerned the infamous acts the couple committed.
Released/ Restrictions:
Karla Homolka was released on July 4, 2005. Judge Jean R. Beaulieu was worried that Karla may still be a risk thus there were many restrictions placed on her (Bardsley 38). The restrictions:
Education:
In 2008, Karla Homolka decided to pursue an education. Karla studied at Queen’s University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Present life:
Karla Homolka got married in 2007, two years following her release from jail. She is married to Thierry Bordelais who is the brother of her lawyer and the couple gave birth to three children. They both reside in Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe and she changed her name to Leanne Bordelais.
What Karla's Childhood Friends Said About Her:
“You couldn’t push her into anything. It didn’t matter if you were a parent, teacher, friend or stranger, Karla always spoke her mind. If she was mad about something she would let you know about it.” (Lisa Stanton)
Once in high school, Karla seemed to live in two worlds and certainly exhibited mood swings. Her friends recall that at times she seemed elated and would speak enthusiastically about going to university, becoming a veterinarian or an undercover police officer. At other times, she would hardly speak at all for weeks at a time. Karla often spoke about killing herself and once revealed a small slit moving horizontally across her wrist. If it was a suicide attempt, it was a feeble attempt and her friends remarked that they were sure that it was just to get attention. Karla also claimed that she had tried to overdose on sleeping pills. Her peers struggled to understand how someone as vain as Karla, who was constantly looking at herself in the mirror and fixing their hair, could apparently have such contempt for their own life. ( Kevin Jacoby)
“When we were in high school she was a little rebel. Nobody ever told Karla what to do (or what to think). She was her own person and her own boss.” (Debbie Purdie)
Karla told her friend, Tracy Collins, “You know what I’d like to do…..? I’d like to put dots all over somebody’s body and take a knife and then play connect the dots and then pour vinegar all over them.”
Dorothy and Karel Homolka gave birth to their oldest daughter Karla Leanne Homolka in Port Credit, Ontario on May 4, 1970. Karla is their oldest daughter following Lori who was born on 1971 and Tammy who was born in 1975-1990. The Homolka family later moved to St. Catherine’s where Karla attended Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School. Karla suffered from asthma in her childhood. Whenever Karla was excited or scared she would get an attack, which was why she visited the hospital a lot. Karla was always an animal lover and she worked part-time at veterinary clinic. Karla was a popular girl at school who was bossy, attractive and an intelligent girl who has an IQ level of 132, her teacher described her as a “good student" (Pron 7).
Interests:
Besides spending time with animals, Karla is a bookworm. She enjoys reading books about witchcraft, Satanism, The Occult and True Crime. Karla’s favourite book is about satanic abuse (Lee 4). Besides spending time with animals, Karla is a bookworm. She enjoys reading books about witchcraft, Satanism, The Occult and True Crime. Karla’s favourite book is about satanic abuse.
Karla meets Paul:
Karla met Paul Bernardo when she was a 17-year-old high school student when she was working at a veterinary clinic. Paul was 23, who was preparing to become an accountant as he studied at University of Toronto. On October 17 1987, Karla and her childhood friend Debbie Purdie were attending a convention in Scarborough (Bardsley 3).Later that night, Karla and Debbie decided to have a late night snack at a restaurant. Paul coincidently happened to walk in, and laid eyes on Karla Homolka, it was love at first sight. Paul’s physical appearance and outgoing personality automatically attracted Karla. Within hours, they were both in Karla’s hotel room having sex. Karla believed that Paul was the man of her dreams. Karla dated many boys in high school but none were like Paul. She bragged to her friends about his maturity and good looks. On December 4, 1989, Paul took Karla for a romantic long drive to Niagara Falls where he proposed to her and she happily accepted. The couple planned to get married in the spring of 1991.
School and Job:
In the spring of 1989, Karla graduated from Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School. Karla was accepted to York University and University of Toronto but she declined the offers because she accepted a job she was offered as a veterinary assistant at Thorold Veterinary Clinic (Williams 2).
The Birth of a Criminal:
Before Paul met Karla, he had already raped fifteen girls, but always managed to escape. He was what every girl feared and was referred as the ‘Scarborough Rapist.’ Paul finally broke it down to Karla and told her he was upset at the fact that Karla was not a virgin when she met Paul. Paul asked Karla if in return she could give him her fifteen-year-old Tammy Homolka’s virginity. Desperately wanting to please Paul, Karla agreed to steal animal tranquillizers and halothane from her clinic and lace Tammy’s food so Paul could rape her (Bradsley 9).Karla referred to Tammy as a Christmas present for her fiancé.
Karla's Insecurity:
Karla was insecure as she was struggling with jealousy. Paul and Tammy’s relationship worried Karla. Paul would spend hours with Tammy and the time he was not with her, he would talk about her. Karla thought once Tammy loses her virginity Paul would not get attracted to her anymore.
Tammy Homolka Victim # 1:
Tammy Lyn Homolka was a grade 10-student known for her athletic skills. She was born on January 1, 1975 and attended Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School. On December 23, 1990 when the Homolka family went to bed, Paul and Karla invited Tammy to stay awake for a few cocktails. Little did Tammy know, her drinks were laced with sleeping pills. Karla also placed animal tranquilizer to keep Tammy asleep while Paul and Karla both raped her. Karla placed halothane on a cloth and put it on her sister’s face while Paul was raping her to make sure she does not wakeup. When it was Karla’s turn, Tammy began to vomit and she chocked to death. Paul and Karla were both terrified; they dressed Tammy, hid the camera that they used to record everything, and called the ambulance. The couple told paramedics that Tammy had a few drinks and passed out. In the early hours of Christmas Eve, she was pronounced dead on December 24, 1990. The doctors were curious about the mysterious burn mark on Tammy’s face but decided that she died of natural causes (Warmington 9).
Moving out:
On February 1, 1991, Paul and Karla moved out of the Homolka house, into a two-story bungalow in Port Dalhousie. Karla gave Paul the idea that they will kidnap girls and make them their sex slaves. When Paul asked when Karla replied, “This summer because winter is too hard” (Williams 20). Karla told Paul that she enjoys and admires sexual charisma. Over the next few years Karla enticed several young girls into their home, drugged, and sexually assaulted them. Unlike her sister Tammy, the young girls survived with no memory of what happened to them.
Leslie Mahaffy Victim # 2:
Leslie Erin Mahaffy was born on July 5, 1976. She lived in Burlington, Ontario and was fourteen years old when she was abducted. Leslie’s mom was disappointment that her daughter constantly comes home late so she decided to give Leslie a lesson and locked the doors. Leslie called her friend and asked if she could sleepover but she refused, Leslie had no choice but to sit on her front porch waiting for her mom to open the door. On June 15, 1991, Paul saw Leslie. Paul offered the young girl a cigarette and called her to his car, when she came he pushed her in her car and drove off. It was only two weeks before Paul and Karla’s big wedding when he woke Karla up for a surprise. The couple blindfolded Leslie, Karla used the same stole drugs from her clinic and used them to subdue Leslie as they preformed sexual acts and recorded them simultaneously. A day later, the couple strangled her, cut her body into pieces, placed it into concrete, and dumped it in Lake Gipson. Anglers found Leslie’s body on Paul and Karla’s wedding day on June 29, 1991, two weeks after she passed away (Laugh 3).
Wedding:
Karla’s parents were not ready to celebrate their daughters wedding since their youngest had just passed away. Karla was outraged because her father was not ready to pay for the wedding and Karla wrote an ominous letter to her best friend. However, that did not keep Karla from postponing her wedding and on June 29, 1991, the couple exchanged vows.
Kristen French Victim # 3:
Kristen French was born on May 10, 1976. Kristen attended Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in which she was an active participant of an ice-skating team and won numerous medals. On April 16, 1992, Paul and Karla were in search for another girl they could use as a ‘sex slave’. The couple was only fifteen miles away from home when they spotted the fifteen-year-old who was walking home from school. They pulled up in a parking lot and Karla called Kristen over by pulling out a map and asking for directions. When Kristen began to help, Paul shoved her in the back seat and they drove off. Karla and Paul kept Kristen for a few days as they continuously beat, assaulted, and videotaped everything on camera. They decided to murder her on April 19, 1992 and threw her naked body in a ditch. On April 30, 1992, her body was found in north Burlington (Cairns 30).
Deal with the Devil:
January 19, 1993 Toronto Police contacted Karla to discuss the DNA results Paul had given in 1990 concerning the Scarborough Rapist case. After a two-year delay, they found her husband to be the Scarborough rapist. After Karla’s interview with the authorities, she broke down and confessed everything to her family. She was worried the police already knew and took her parents advice by hiring a lawyer and telling him Paul is the Scarborough rapist. Karla only agreed to testify against Paul in return for a reduced sentence. She said the Paul forced her to take part in the attacks against her will and that all the physical evidence they needed was in her house. On May 11 1993, Karla’s attorney was able to make a plea agreement with prosecutors, they made a deal with Karla Homlka because they did not have direct evidence and could not find the tapes(Lee 18).When the videos were finally found, the authorities felt misled. They saw her in the videotapes, she was fully participating in the attacks, and if these videos were found earlier, it could have influenced the deal, which everyone now refers as, ‘Deal with the devil.’
Karla’s Trial:
On June 28, 1993, Karla Homolka’s trial began. Karla’s attorney portrayed her as an abused wife who was forced to participate in these acts. On July 1993, Karla received a 12-year sentence and pleaded guilty for two counts of manslaughter for the death of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy (Pron 18). Karla was seen not guilty for the death of Tammy Homolka.
Jail:
In 1993, Karla was sent to Kingston, which was a prison for women and in 1997, Karla was sent to Joliette Institution when Kingston shut down. In Joliette Karla was having an affair with another female named Lynda Veronneau. The Toronto Sun reported Karla Homolka was simultaneously having an affair with a male inmate. They would strip at fences, touch each other sexually and exchange underwear’s.
Paul’s thoughts on Karla:
In court, Paul said that Karla was equally involved in the crimes. It was her idea to kidnap girls and use them as sex slaves. Paul said that unlike his previous girlfriends who left him due to his sadistic behavior Karla was the only girlfriend who encouraged his infamous acts. Paul also said that he was always a rapist but he never killed any human being, it was always Karla who was afraid of letting the girls go free. She also jealous of Tammy and was not upset when she died. She would wear her dead sister’s clothes, impersonate her, and have sex with Paul on her bed. Paul’s father said, “ As far as I am concerned, Karla has got away with it and his free…” (Toronto Star).
Psychiatric Treatment:
On October 9, 2000, Karla Homolka was sent to a prison in Saskatoon that provided her with psychiatric inspection. In the year of 2001, Karla was sent to a hospital in Montreal to get treatment. Dr. Graham Glensky stated that Karla has hybristophilia (Pron 21).
Hybristophilia is a person is sexually attracted to people who commit rape and murder.
Media:
In 2006 Joel Bender directed a movie called Karla, which was based on Karla and Paul’s life. The Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka case grabbed a lot of media attention and many authors began writing about the events that took place. Scott Burnside and Alan Cairns published a book named Deadly Innocence on November 15, 2008 based on the murders and rapes Karla Homolka and Paul. Author Nick Pron also published a book in 2012 titled Lethal Marriage, which concerned the infamous acts the couple committed.
Released/ Restrictions:
Karla Homolka was released on July 4, 2005. Judge Jean R. Beaulieu was worried that Karla may still be a risk thus there were many restrictions placed on her (Bardsley 38). The restrictions:
- She must report to the cops her address, work address and whom she lives with.
- If any of the above information changes she has to inform immediately
- If she wants to change her name she needs to notify the cops
- If Karla wants to be away from home for more than 2 days she has to tell the cops three days in advance
- Karla is not allowed to contact Paul Bernardo or the families of her victims or any other criminals
- She is not able to be around anyone under the age of 16 and cannot consume illegal drugs
- She has to go to therapy and counseling
Education:
In 2008, Karla Homolka decided to pursue an education. Karla studied at Queen’s University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Present life:
Karla Homolka got married in 2007, two years following her release from jail. She is married to Thierry Bordelais who is the brother of her lawyer and the couple gave birth to three children. They both reside in Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe and she changed her name to Leanne Bordelais.
What Karla's Childhood Friends Said About Her:
“You couldn’t push her into anything. It didn’t matter if you were a parent, teacher, friend or stranger, Karla always spoke her mind. If she was mad about something she would let you know about it.” (Lisa Stanton)
Once in high school, Karla seemed to live in two worlds and certainly exhibited mood swings. Her friends recall that at times she seemed elated and would speak enthusiastically about going to university, becoming a veterinarian or an undercover police officer. At other times, she would hardly speak at all for weeks at a time. Karla often spoke about killing herself and once revealed a small slit moving horizontally across her wrist. If it was a suicide attempt, it was a feeble attempt and her friends remarked that they were sure that it was just to get attention. Karla also claimed that she had tried to overdose on sleeping pills. Her peers struggled to understand how someone as vain as Karla, who was constantly looking at herself in the mirror and fixing their hair, could apparently have such contempt for their own life. ( Kevin Jacoby)
“When we were in high school she was a little rebel. Nobody ever told Karla what to do (or what to think). She was her own person and her own boss.” (Debbie Purdie)
Karla told her friend, Tracy Collins, “You know what I’d like to do…..? I’d like to put dots all over somebody’s body and take a knife and then play connect the dots and then pour vinegar all over them.”