Fredericton, NB (Canadian Press) – An internal review of the events leading to the murder of a New Brunswick professor last fall shows the RCMP needs to do a better job of detecting domestic violence, the force’s commander in the province said Thursday.
St. Thomas University Prof. John McKendy was killed in his home near Fredericton on Oct. 31. Police believe he was murdered by his son-in-law, Nicholas Wade Baker, who was later found dead in a rental car in Moncton.
A month later, the RCMP apologized to McKendy’s family after admitting a family member had alerted them to emails and other communication from Baker that indicated the potential for violence three days before McKendy was killed.
Investigators and family members have declined to disclose further details, including possible motives for the crime, how McKendy was killed and what Baker had said in the emails.
On Thursday, Assistant Commissioner Darrell LaFosse said the RCMP’s review of the case concluded investigators had missed key warning signs.
As a result, the force will re-examine its training for officers to raise awareness of such cases.
LaFosse said police had been investigating Baker for vehicle theft and fraudulent credit card use, but believed he was in the United States, and that he posed a danger only to himself.
The administrative review of the case found that the focus of the RCMP investigation was on the theft and fraud allegations, and the mental health of Baker, instead of the possibility that there were factors that could lead to domestic violence.
LaFosse said investigators need to take a broader approach to such cases.
“Look at the fringes of the investigation as you’re going down the road and pay attention to the clutter in the background to see if there are other indications,” he said.
His view was echoed by Carmen Gill, the director of the Muriel McQueen Ferguson Centre for Family Violence Research in Fredericton.
“When it comes to intimate-partner violence, it’s not just the obvious that you need to look at,” she said.
Gill said while police cadets are trained to deal with domestic violence, ongoing training is also necessary.
The review of the case was conducted by an RCMP officer from Prince Edward Island. His report was turned over to Fredericton City Police before it was released.
The RCMP said it will not release the report because it contains personal information that cannot be made public.
Another major issue raised by the review is that while the RCMP had issued a request to the Canada Border Services Agency to watch for Baker, they only became aware he had returned to Canada after McKendy’s murder.
In fact, Baker had re-entered Canada on a bus that crossed the border at St. Stephen, N.B., on Oct. 29, two days before the professor was killed.
LaFosse wouldn’t assign blame to the CBSA, but said the force needs clarity on what to expect when a “be on the lookout” order has been issued.
“Assumptions do not work in cases such as this,” he said. “If I ask you to watch out for someone, I want to make sure that you are going to contact me.”
McKendy was a popular sociology professor.
He was also a Quaker, and has been described by family and friends as someone who abhorred violence and would have wanted people to learn a lesson from his death.
Members of McKendy’s family, including his daughter, issued a statement declining to discuss the report, but they did say they support how the RCMP reviewed its handling of the case.
“John McKendy was a peace activist, committed to non-violence in all forms,” it said. “It is our hope that his tragic death will serve as a catalyst for change in the way police respond to threats of domestic violence.”
Recent Comments