Editor:
For the love of heaven someone please tell me how someone can bludgeon to death an innocent 15-yearold girl, with an iron pipe, in broad daylight, without provocation, and be eligible for parole in only 10 years?
This is assuming the assailant receives an adult sentence, which the Crown is seeking. I just don't get it.
For those of you with computers look up the name Laura Szendrei online to read the specifics. The assailant was a few days shy of his 18th birthday at the time. Since he was not yet 18, he can technically be sentenced under the Youth Criminal Justice Act and get off with a far lighter sentence.
The motive for killing the young Delta girl has not been disclosed. However, other than to make some sense out of this despicable act that is beyond one's comprehension, that makes little difference.
If the individual is sentenced under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, he could spend as little as four years in jail and perhaps less if the time he has already been incarcerated is taken into account. Seven years is the maximum sentence.
A maximum of seven years and possibly as few as four years in prison for destroying a human life? That is simply a travesty.
Laura Szendrei's mom and dad are emotionally destroyed. They will never be the same people. You never, ever get over some-thing like this as a parent.
Their daughter has been taken from them forever.
All they have are memories, writings and photographs.
The fact this individual confessed might bring some relief to the parents because at least the Szendrei family will not have to endure sitting through a trial.
What happened to a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for committing such a crime? If this individual is eligible for parole in 10 years and succeeds, he will have his entire life ahead of him.
Twenty-eight years old is very young. He will have the chance to pursue a university degree or already have one after getting out of prison. He will be able to date, drink with his bud-dies, get married, have children, travel to exotic places, have birthday celebrations, love someone and be loved by others.
He will get on with his life and feel that he has paid his debt and that he has a right to move on with his life. He may or may not be haunted with what he did or he may succeed in compartmentalizing things to the point that what happened two years ago is nothing but a blur to him.
Personally, I do not believe the Szendreis will receive justice unless this individual spends the remainder of his natural life behind bars. I do not say this out of vindictiveness but I do believe it is time the courts gave restitution its due.
David F. Horvath
