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“One can judge a country by the way it treats and protects it's victims and citizens"
The Story
Unfortunately this story is true. We wish it wasn't
On October 14, 2006 Joshua Hunt age 16 was murdered by a 17 year old two blocks from his home in Edmonton, Alberta Canada at his friend's home by his friend's older brother. He was stabbed multiple times with a butcher knife and died due to his injuries. Shortly after Joshua was murdered the media reported the accused was friends of the boys that had previously jumped and beat Joshua up on Mother’s day 2006. It was reported that Joshua was a great kid he loved life and loved everyone. At his funeral on October 20, 2006 there were over 700 people that attended his funeral: friends from school, hockey, and family. Many of them told his family after he died that Joshua touched their lives in many positive ways due to his personality.
The 17 year old that stabbed him was charged with second degree murder and two assaults with a weapon. It was reported that this 17 year old had a lengthy criminal record. He was detained in the Edmonton Youth Correctional Center for 30 days until he was released under section 31 to his grandfather (who was a retired police officer with the Edmonton Police Service), even after the judge denied the accused bail due to public safety concerns. People were advised by the crown that based on our law the judge was obligated to release him on section 31 unless the crown could show cause not to.
The public was appalled that he could kill someone and just be released on section 31 with just conditions. Joshua’s family and supporters did some research on the Youth Criminal Justice Act to find out that the laws in Canada, when it comes to youth crime, is way too lenient. So they started rallies, petitions and received a lot of media coverage in Edmonton and across Canada with a tremendous amount of support. They sent in over 40,000 signed petitions over a course of 2 months to the federal and provincial government. Nothing changed. To this day nothing has changed and they have heard nothing from any of our governments.
It was reported that the Hunt family, friends and supporters attended court on many occasions leading up to the trial over a period of 2 years and 2 months and soon learned that the killer and his family had no remorse what so ever, in fact they went out of their way to show that they had no remorse. They would make sick comments when they would walk by the Hunt's, grinning and making hand gestures. On one occasion it was alleged that the grandfather of the accused elbowed Joshua Hunt’s father as he was walking into the courtroom. The father of the killer went up to some of the victim’s family trying to intimidate them. Apparently the Hunt family filed a complaint with the police and it was reported nothing happened.
Over the course of two years while waiting for the trial it is alleged that the accused and his grandfather continued to breach the section 31 court conditions. They were even caught on video tape with dates and times that a PI delivered to the Edmonton Police Service showing that they were breaching the section 31 conditions on a number of occasions. It was reported that nothing was done. On December 25, 2007 (Christmas Night) it is alleged that the accused went over to the Hunt’s residents with his brother and was taunting Joshua’s younger brother and his cousin outside their residents. It was reported that there were a number of witnesses that witnessed this. Again the police were called. It was reported the police arrested him but not before the grandfather of the killer pushed the lady police officer down while she attempted to arrest the accused. The accused spent 27 hours in jail before he was released with a no cash bail. Even though the lady police officer reported she was pushed down by the grandfather he was not charged with assaulting a police officer. This lady police officer also noted that the grandfather of the accused was yelling out to her and her partner things like, “You don’t know who I know in the Edmonton Police Service”. One month later the crown dropped the breach of condition charges on the killer.
A few months later the preliminary hearing was scheduled and it was reported that both Joshua’s parents were not permitted to attend. However Joshua’s parents were permitted to attend the judge’s decision on the last day of the preliminary hearing. During the judge’s decision she stated among many things that the killer acted reckless and she ordered the homicide to go to trial. After many delays by the defense lawyer the trial was finally set down for November 24, 2008 and scheduled to last 3 to 4 weeks.
It was reported that approximately four days before the trial started the defense lawyer tried to change the trial from judge and jury to judge alone; therefore, a hearing with the trial judge was quickly scheduled. Family members and friends of Joshua Hunt attended because they were informed that it was open to the public to watch. When they entered the courtroom they soon learned that it was the trial judge that was making the decision if the trial would go forward with judge and jury or judge alone.
The defense lawyer asked the judge to close the court and everyone other than the judge, defense lawyer and Crown were all informed that they had to leave including all the media. The media was upset because according to them they should have been informed prior to this time that the defense lawyer wanted the process of the hearing in camera (which means closed court). The media informed the Hunt family and friends that if they would have known prior to this date they could have had the opportunity to object to the in camera closed court process. Due to the fact they were not informed prior to this they were unable to do this especially because the trial was only four days away. The hearing went ahead anyway and the trial judge decided to allow judge only. The trial was set down to start on November 24, 2008 (only four days later) at the Edmonton Law Courts Building on the Court of Queen’s Bench side.
The trial started and everyone that attended soon learned from the witnesses what took place the night Joshua Hunt was murdered. It was alleged that the killer’s younger brother invited about 8 friends over to his house while his Mom was home for a get together. During this get together there was alcohol. At approx 2 am the killer, the older brother, came home (after driving drunk and crashing his friends car) he accused the boys at this get together that someone was in his bedroom and started to get aggressive with some younger boys.
He was pushing them around throwing some of them on the pool table. Meanwhile Joshua Hunt was passed out on the floor on a mattress from drinking too much alcohol. When the accused got aggressive with the boys there was one boy there that pulled out a knife and both the killer and this other boy went at it. The accused was on top of him hitting him and then got up and went upstairs locked everyone in the basement (why was there a reverse lock on this basement door?) and proceeded to get a butcher knife that he pulled out of a lower cupboard behind pots and pans in a knife block.
The accused mother called 911 (the 911 recording was played in court). The mother stated to the 911 operator: “I have a 17 year old going crazy here (which was her son the accused)”. You could hear the accused saying I am going to kill these mother f—ckers before he killed Josh. You could also hear the 911 operator telling him to let them out and he wouldn’t. (After Joshua was stabbed you could also hear the brother of the accused panicked voice state to the 911 operator “My brother took a knife and went crazy on this guy “ you could also hear the mother say "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!!" ( which matches the amount of times Joshua was stabbed).
Prior to this a few of the kids climbed out the very small basement window and came around the front of the house to try and attempt to get the others out including Joshua . The killer then chased them out the front of the house and was spotted by neighbors chasing a young boy around a truck in his driveway with the butcher knife in his hand swinging the knife at him. Meantime Joshua kicked through the locked basement door to get out and headed out with one girl for the front door for their shoes. Joshua couldn’t find his shoes this is when the accused came back into the house through the front door from chasing the other young boy around the truck with the butcher knife. The accused then went crazy on Joshua with the knife stabbing him 3 to 4 times (at this point you could hear the mother of the killer on the 911 recording saying a number of times OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD. Joshua took 4 to 5 steps back and fell on a couch and died.
Before the police arrived it was reported in court that the accused and his family tried to clean up and change their clothing and did not even attempt to attend to Joshua laying and dying on the couch. Once the police arrived the accused tried to run but the police caught him and brought him back into the house. While EMS was working on Joshua the accused was aggressive with the police to the point he was pinned against the wall. EMS reported hearing the accused say “I hope he’s dead or I will kill him again”. The police arrested him and placed him in a police car to transport him downtown to police headquarters Edmonton. During the 17 minute drive the accused was being very lippy and stated things to the police like, “ I can get off anything you wait and see I will be out in no time my grandfather has pull he is a retired police officer you might know him. My dad has lots of money and we can hire a top notch lawyer”. There were other comments from him regarding stabbing Joshua that should have been able to be heard in the trial.
These comments and statements were not permitted past the preliminary hearing to the trial because it was reported he was under age and the police did not have a parent with him in the police car when he made these comments even though they read him his rights in the house in front of his mother before they arrested him. Therefore, the defense lawyer was able to have these comments and statements thrown out of court and they were never brought up at the trial.
It was reported during the trial in front of a very packed courtroom the accused would fall asleep and would laugh in court like it was no big deal. It was truly shocking to say the least. On the day of the verdict it was reported that the accused was with his family and lawyer and right up until the judge entered the courtroom he was laughing like nothing was wrong like it was no big deal.
The judge then read out his decision and at complete amazement and shock to everyone he acquitted him on all 3 charges 2nd degree murder and two assaults with a weapon. The accused was free to go. The judge stated that the crown failed to prove within a resonable doubt that the accussed intentionaly killed Joshua. The judge said it could have been self-defense or Joshua could have run into the butcher knife by accident.
The Crown had 30 days to appeal and decided not to. The accused was completely free to go and got away with murdering a young 16 year old defenseless boy. It was reported by a very large number of people that the decision made no sense what so ever and was more than truly shocking. A large number of people felt strongly that the crown did not have enough experience and asked why the crowns office put such a junior crown on this case when their are other expereinced crowns that they could have used such as QC with homicide trial experience. A lot of people have also questioned why the crown didn't show all the evidence to the trial judge during the trial for example: the clothing Joshua was wearing the night he was murdered. As noted in the pictures here in the web site the clothing tells the true story that Joshua was stabbed a number of times).
It doesn’t end here it is alleged a few days after the accused was acquitted the accused cut Joshua’s mother off with his dads SUV while she was driving to the store. He then followed Joshua’s father a couple of times while he was driving his wife’s car thinking it was the mother of Joshua driving. He then parked outside the Hunt’s residents at 1:30 am one morning playing loud music.
He soon bought a new car and would drive by the Hunt’s residents everyday at least once per day for months laughing at them and giving them the finger and making threatening comments. At one point he drove past the Hunt’s residents while Joshua’s father was raking the lawn and gave him a gun gesture and said “your dead bitch”. His father pulled up in his SUV one afternoon as Joshua’s younger brother and his friend were walking home from the bus stop and taunting them by saying “come over to our house so we can kill you too” he then flicked his cigarette towards them and drove off.
The Hunt’s reported all these incidents to the Edmonton Police Service but again nothing was done and nothing was done to stop it because they said their hands were tied. (The Hunt family kept a narrative with all dates and times that the police also have with many incidents).
The Hunt family applied for a peace bond through the courts in Edmonton in April 2009 but the killer and his family objected to it on May 20, 2009 so it was set down for a trial which was at least one month away for a judge to decide if a peace bond was necessary.
Two days later on May 22, 2009 the killer drove to the Hunt’s residents again while Joshua’s younger brother and two of his friends were playing street hockey in front of the Hunt residence. The killer attempted to try and run them over with his car at a high rate of speed. As a reaction one of the boys threw his hockey stick at the windshield of the car cracking it. The killer stopped his car got out and picked up the hockey stick and chased them onto the Hunt residence lawn swinging the stick at them saying I am going to kill your entire family.
Joshua's mother came out of the house to see what the commotion was and the killer attacked her with the stick as well. She screamed for Joshua's fathers help and woke him from a nap. Joshua's father ran down the stairs out the front door and could not believe the killer of his late son was on their front lawn swinging a hockey stick at his family. Joshua's father quickly got between the killer and his family yelling at him to leave and yelling for someone to call the police.
The killer then attacked Mr. Hunt with the hockey stick hitting towards his head 15 times in a complete fit of rage breaking the stick on Mr. Hunt 3 times. While he was doing this his father pulled up in his SUV and got out with a four foot 2x2 piece of wood and hit Mr. Hunt two times in the back of his head splitting his head open and stating "I have been waiting a long time for this". Mr. Hunt deliberately made the choice not to retaliate and hit back thinking this was the right thing to do because he did not want to take the chance of being charged for an assault which would put his family through more stress.
(You can view the pictures below of Mr. Hunt's injuries from the assault. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them. The pictures were shown in the trial).
The police arrived and arrested and charged both the killer and his father with a number of assaults with a weapon including uttering death threats. While the police were arresting them both the killer and father were yelling out "do you want to know the last words your son said before we killed him""See you in 48 hours ladies" and the father told the police the stick he used on Mr. Hunt was called the "Hunt stick".
Three hours later the police returned to the Hunt residence and arrested and charged both Joshua's younger 15 year old brother and father plus the two boys that were playing street hockey with assault and uttering death threats. They spent 19 hours in jail with the killer and his father until they were all released.
The Hunt's retained a lawyer and after about 5 months their charges were dropped on the condition they signed a peace bond staying away from the killer and his father as well as, meet with a probation officer and go to counseling for a period of 12-18 months. (In addition to this when the father and younger brother of Joshua were charged they had to deal with a crown prosecutor from Calgary. Even though they resided in Edmonton WHY? The killer and his father had a crown prosecutor from Edmonton).
It has been reported that the two other boys were forced to plead guilty because they could not afford a lawyer and received probation, counseling, a fine, community hours, a criminal record and a peace bond for 12 months.
In August 2010 the killer and his father trial started at the Edmonton Law Courts Building. The crown witnesses testified then the defense lawyer adjourned the case until March 10 and 11, 2011.
On March 10, 2011 the trial resumed. It was reported by two other lawyers as well as, some other people in the courtroom that the killer admitted he was guilty of the charges plus the evidence was clear that he was guilty. However, the court took a break for lunch and during lunch the defense lawyer and the crown made a deal that all charges would be dropped on the killer and his father for a basic 12 month peace bond. They didn't even have to report to probation or counseling. They received less than the Hunt's and the two other boys. Basically the killer got off again......
When the Hunt's received a copy of their peace bond they could not believe it therefore, they filed a complaint with the crowns office as well as the Premier of Alberta, the federal and provincial justice ministers and the prime minister of Canada. To date they have not heard a word back from anyone. This killer is free as a bird to hurt someone else. No one has this much luck.....(you read and hear a lot more people are punished through our justice system for less everyday. There is no other case like this one in Edmonton, Alberta or Canada period). This should be a very large safety concern for the public. Now he is free to kill and harm again.........Who's next?
During this trial the media was not present which was very unusual. The media (Edmonton Sun and CTV) was asked to write a story but they stated they were too busy and this situation wasn't grave enough for public interest. Therefore this most recent trial and the outcome of this trial was not reported to the public unless you were in the court room.
It is reported that after the homicide trial the Hunt family had to argue with the Crown to get Joshua’s belongings back even though the trial judge stated that they could have them back. They were told by the Crown it was because the accused wanted his butcher knife back so it was holding things up. (To this date the Hunt’s are not sure if the accused did receive his butcher knife from the courts).
It took months after the trial for the Hunt’s to get Joshua’s belongings back. The day they went to pick them up at the police warehouse they came home and very reluctantly opened the evidence bags to see his clothing for the first time. When looking at the clothing they were more than amazed and shocked to discover that Josh wasn’t stabbed once or twice as explained in the trial but his clothing clearly showed he was stabbed 3 to 4 times. Next to each stab mark there were blood stains in 3 different places on his clothing with 4 different stab marks. He was stabbed in his groin area, stomach, right side by his kidney and through his heart. It looked clearly like someone just went crazy on him just like the brother of the accused stated on the 911 tapes the night Joshua was murdered.
(You can view the pictures below which shows the clothing Joshua was wearing the night he was murdered. Each sticky note notes the area of each stab wound. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them). This clothing was not shown in the trial as evidence.
The Hunt's could not believe the Crown did not show this clothing during the trial as evidence. The next day they contacted the Crowns office in Edmonton to ask why they didn’t show his clothing as evidence during the trial (because the clothing clearly shows this was not self defense or an accident THE CLOTHING TELLS THE REAL STORY). The Crowns office replied "not to contact the Crown anymore and this case is now closed".
One must ask how this could happen in Canada? And how could this happen to this family and this young boy? This case is more than disgusting. The Hunt family will never be the same and for this accused and his father to keep taunting them and harming them is more than a crime!
One final note: Should this be pushed under the rug and put to the way side or should something be done? What can and what should be done about this tragic injustice?
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Story about Stephen
Sometimes things happen in life that are so horrible our minds have a hard time processing them. Even our souls don't know quite where to place the horrific. So, we pull out our trite Christian answers and hope they are good enough to keep the honest questions at bay.
But somewhere deep inside us a question bumps around our heart. A question so honest we Christians feel we couldn't ever possibly ask it. Where was God?
Where was God when the students were shot?
Where was God when my sister's 18 year-old friend had a headache one day and died suddenly the next?
Where was God when my friend's baby wrapped the umbilical cord about his leg and he died days before he would have otherwise been delivered perfectly healthy?
Where was God when that precious girl was taken, and found a few days later in the trash dump?
Like I said, things so hard we can hardly process them. Sometimes we'd rather make an excuse for God than be brave enough to actually go to God and ask. I've been guilty of this. I've tried to make excuses for God. And I hated the feeling of faking my way through with plastic answers just to gloss over something my God is certainly big enough to answer Himself.
For years, I asked God to help me wrestle with this hard question. And finally an answer came tucked away in Acts 7:54-60, the stoning of Stephen.
It's easy to read the words of the story and miss the reality of what's really happening. Stephen is being brutally murdered. Stephen is living the horrific we can't process. Yet, in the midst of his most desperate moment, Stephen is absolutely not alone.
While I hate - absolutely hate - what is being done to Stephen's body, his soul is experiencing something completely separate. And what I discovered when I dared peak inside the horrific was a miracle that makes me weep with relief.
God was there. Jesus was there. And my Jesus wasn't just sitting by observing. No, He was standing. And please forgive me for daring to make an assumption here but because I know Jesus, I have a picture in my mind of what He must have looked like in this moment. With tears streaming down His face, full of the purest compassion ever known, Jesus makes sure Stephen sees Him. Locks His eyes on his.
And from what I can tell, Stephen never took his eyes off of Jesus.
In the midst of chaos and screaming and the most vicious of acts, Stephen's soul talks with Jesus. His body falls as Stephen cries out forgiveness for all who dare to hear. And with that, a merciful sleep takes Stephen away.
I know this is hard to process.
I know just reading these passages doesn't answer every question.
And might I encourage you to wrestle with this and pray about this and ask God the bold questions that knock around your soul?
I don't understand why Stephen had to die this way.
I am still horrified by all of the events I listed above.
And while I don't have all the answers, there is one thing I know for certain. I do know where God was. He wasn't too busy. He wasn't cold and heartless. He wasn't caught off guard.
He was there. And I'm convinced with holy tears dripping in the midst, He is grieved over how sin has broken this world. And He walks to the edge of eternity and reminds us He will avenge, He will redeem, He will make all things right.
Especially those we can't possibly understand right now.
Dear Lord, it is so hard to understand the horrific events that happen. Thank You for this reminder in this story. Even though we may never have answers on this side of eternity we can still stand on the truth that You are good even when life isn't. But Lord Jesus, please pour out your loving comfort and reassurances. Our hearts need your touch in those deep hurting places. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
John 3:16. Every one of us was created by God and therefore, we are all special. There is no two people on this earth the same. Try and even find two people with the same finger prints totally impossible. Man is able to create technology and many amazing things but no matter what he cannot create something that lasts forever!
If there was no God there would be no us. Some scientists will try and say we came from fish or apes ect but if that was the case why aren't we still coming from fish and apes?
Everything man made ends just in a matter of time no matter how good it was built and no matter how well we take care of it. Jesus/God is the same today as he was yesterday and will be tomorrow.
In life we all have hardships some larger than others but never the less none of us are perfect and none of us were ever intended to adhere them alone. God always intended on helping us, comforting us and guiding us. All we have to do is ask and it's free! As humans when something is free we always question it. Rather than questioning it just simply take a leap of faith like a young child.
Simply put no matter what you have or have not done in the past and no matter who you are Jesus/God has a beautiful internal life for you in Heaven. All you have to do is ask. What do you have to lose? Take the step and just simply ask by praying the following prayer alone or with friends and family as a group.
Dear Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner and I am not perfect neither is any human please forgive all my sins. I thank you for dying on the cross for me and all. I ask that you please come into my life and guide me each and every day opening new doors for me to learn your word and that you show me my purpose on this earth. In Jesus name I pray Amen. John 3:16.
Congratulations you have just made the largest and best leap in life. Your name has now been entered into the book of life internal life in heaven.
Start reading the word even if it is just a paragraph per day. Go to the Christian book stores and find a book about getting to know Jesus and being a new Christian. They also have Bibles that are easier for new Christians to understand. Enjoy and may God bless you in your new walk of life.
