Home destroyed
John Cartwright holds a photograph of his sister who was murdered in her Turner Valley home.
Fourth anniversary of Johnson murders haunt families
By Cindy Ballance
Editor
Sept. 3, 1996 is a day that residents of the Oilfields community will never forget.
Now, four years later, the families of young Cathryn Johnson and her mother Jane
who were murdered in their Turner Valley home, still live with the pain, grief and
frustration of their unnecessary deaths.
Every day memories of Jane and Cathryn Johnson are remembered and every day their
killer remains at large.
'This is something that doesn't go away. Our lives are still hell,' said Sam Johnson,
Jane's former husband, speaking of the constant pain and suffering felt by the families
at the loss of not only a sister, a wife, a friend and a mother, but a child and
a niece.
Now as the fourth anniversary of their death nears, the families are stepping forward
to make a plea to the public for information.
'Keeping it in the public is the only weapon we have to solve this thing,' said Johnson
in an interview last week.
'We want people to know there are real people behind the scenes. This is not just
something you see on TV and it goes away,' he added.
Killer still at large
Efforts to uncover the killer of eight-year-old Cathryn and Jane, 36, have so
far been futile.
Turner Valley RCMP along with the Major Crimes Unit of the Calgary City Police have
been working diligently on the case, but to no avail.
RCMP originally ruled that Jane and Cathryn died of smoke inhalation after they were
discovered in their partially burned home in Turner Valley on Royalite Way. However,
autopsy results determined foul play and RCMP later ruled the crime as a double homicide.
RCMP would not reveal the cause of death as it is part of the police investigation.
According to investigating officer Cst. Butch Dupont of the Turner Valley RCMP department,
RCMP have no new leads and no new evidence into the case.
'This is an ongoing murder case which has gone on for a long time. We will just keeping
working on it and just hope for a break,' said Dupont.
However, Dupont added that Jane's boyfriend, whose name has been publically released,
has not been eliminated as a suspect, but has declined RCMP's request to take a lie
detector test.
'We have not eliminated the boyfriend, Henry Reichert, but he still won't take the
polygraph test and it is difficult for one to understand that,' said Dupont. 'You
would think that a person would want to help police by eliminating themselves as
a suspect.'
Added to the families' grief, is an eerie frustration that the killer is still at
large.
'One thing that upset all of us is the fact that her boyfriend has not been eliminated
as a suspect,' said Johnson.
To date RCMP have questioned hundreds of suspects in the case including members of
the family, a tenant who was living in the Johnson home at the time and Johnson.
All were quickly eliminated.
'I was a suspect because everyone was a suspect,' Johnson explained. 'I took the
polygraph test and proved my innocence.'
The RCMP and the families are hoping that a plea to the public will help to resurface
the case in people's minds and possibly come up with some answers.
'In a lot of crimes that occur we need the help of the public. There are eyes out
there and they see things and hear things,' said Dupont. 'Policing is a joint effort
between the community and those who wear the uniforms.'
Memories live on
The families still hold strong to the memories of Cathryn and Jane.
John Cartwright, Jane's oldest brother who lives just west of the Bar U Ranch near
Longview, explained that Jane's love of horses and animals was so magnificent that
every time the family goes for a ride Jane is in their hearts.
'She is remembered a lot,' said Cartwright reminiscing of his sister.
'I always think of them as little girls. I have to be pretty damn busy if they don't
cross my mind. Every time we go riding there is something to remember,' he added.
Surging oil and gas prices may lead to four- per-cent
increase in utility rates for Okotoks
By Cindy Ballance
Editor
Surging oil and gas prices have forced Okotoks council to consider increasing
the utility rate in the town by four per cent as early as Oct. 31.
Council made assurances at its regular meeting held Aug. 21 that the increase is
directly related to the unanticipated increase in gas and oil prices which have stung
every individual in the country this summer.
According to the Town of Okotoks operating variance report presented to council at
its regular meeting on Aug. 21, the operating expenditures for the town are $50,000
over budget mainly due to the dramatically increasing energy costs.
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'The utility rate increase is based on increased utility costs. It is not one which allows for a slush fund or overbudgeting.' -- Ed Sands Councillor |
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The report, which is provided to council to make amendments to the budget based
on new projects and unanticipated costs, also states that equipment and fuels costs
are estimated to be $13,000 higher than originally budgeted.
'The energy charges are by far the greatest challenge for the corporation,' explained
municipal manager Will Pearce. He further explained that the budget submission to
council last September did not make provisions for energy decline in rates because
of deregulation nor the increase in natural gas costs.
'We did not anticipate the world oil prices to be $30 a barrel compared to the $13
per barrel provincial cost nor the $17 budgeted cost,' he said. 'Since we struck
the budget in 1999 there has been a 62 per cent (increase in natural gas rates).'
In addition, administration noted that TransAlta has applied to the Alberta Energy
Utility Board for a rate increase of 25 per cent effective September of 2000.
Considering this, the trends in energy costs are not expected to relax throughout
the year and into 2001.
Common practice for the town is to reflect directly related energy cost increases
in the utility rates, rather than increase property tax rates.
Therefore, council will consider the four per cent increase in the utility rates
in order to recap some of those costs. The increase will be effective on the October
utility bill.
'That adjustment would give us sufficient funds to come in with a planned balanced
budget at year end,' said Pearce.
The increase will mean an additional $2.50 in utilities per month for residents,
approximately.
It is expected that the increase will generate approximately $25,700 in additional
revenue in 2000 and $98,000 in 2001.
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'The modest utility rate adjustment will significantly, but not wholly, offset directly related increases to energy charges and wastewater treatment cost through 2001, assuming no additional energy charge increases,' stated the variance report.
It further stated that as utilities collectively account for approximately 38 per cent of corporate energy use, the town potentially faces an outstanding 2001 budget of $190,000, related only to energy costs.
In addition to energy expenses, corporate legal fees are also projected to be $10,000 higher than forecasted and the town's utilities group is experiencing an increase in sludge handling and disposal costs estimated at $15,000.
Council also had to make $43,000 in adjustments in order to pay for unbudgeted initiatives which include the Okotoks Heritage House, $9,000; hiring a consultant to conduct a compensation review and comparison of town employee reenumeration, $8,000; Digby, Nova Scotia exchange program, $10,000; radio antenna relocation, $10,000; and security upgrade for the town hall, $6,000.
However, despite the shortfall, council did report that the town is experiencing favorable activity in building and development, arid summer conditions stimulating utility revenues and favorable recycled material prices at the start of the year.
Overall Pearce said the town must put the $113,000 shortfall in perspective.
'We are dealing with $113,000 on a $9 million a year budget,' he said.
Although councillors will not make a motion on the increase until the next council meeting, Councillor Laurie Hodson expressed his support.
'I support the four per cent increase. My strong intuition has always been that utility rates are too low,' he told fellow councillors.
Councillor Ed Sands added that it was important the community realize the rate increase is solely due to high energy costs.
'The utility rate increase is based on increased utility costs,' he said. ' It is not one which allows for a slush fund or overbudgeting.'
Local resident know all too well the pains of the increased gas prices, Pearce said that the rate increase will be an unfortunate addition.
'The unfortunate part is that the very person who is paying the four per cent increase to utility rates is also paying the extra 25 per cent on (TransAlta) utility bills and the 62 per cent increase in natural gas rates (at the pumps),' he said.
'2001 is shaping up to be a really challenging year,' said Pearce.
Council will consider the increase at the Sept. 11 meeting.
Before her untimely death Jane worked with special needs children at the Millarville
Community School.
'They had lots of life to live and someone took that away from them,' Cartwright
added.
Johnson too lives with the death of his former wife and daughter every day.
'She (Jane) liked her horses and animals and she liked people. She got along with
everyone,' he said.
However, the death of his child is something Johnson can barely cope with.
'There is nothing worse and I would not wish it on anyone,' said Johnson while pictures
of Cathryn sit on his desk as a constant remember of the sweet child now gone.
'Some days are harder than others,' he said.
Cartwright added that there were times when he was unable to attend a family function.
'Now I regret missing any,' he said. 'We will never understand it (their murders).'
Finding the culprit(s) would help in some small way to ease the suffering of the
family, but the pain will never subside.
'It would help a little to see someone account for their actions and to ask 'why?','
said Cartwright. 'What is beyond me is how anyone could do that to a little child.
She was such a sweet little girl.'
At the time of the murders, Cathryn was about to enter Grade 3 at Turner Valley School.
Families frustrated
As the family still grieves over the loss of Jane and Cathryn, Johnson explained
that knowing their killer is still out there is almost unbearable to the family.
'Four years is too long,' he said.
For the culprit Johnson has little to say. 'I can't understand how whoever did this
could live with themselves and I hope for whoever did this that their life is hell.'
'For four years I have killed (the culprit) every day in every way (in my mind),'
he added.
(...continued)
'It is very frustrating when no arrest has been made,' said Cartwright. 'Every year
that goes by it gets even more frustrating.'
He added that every day the families attempt to find a way to deal with the deaths,
but he said nothing will make them forget.
'It would be nice to have some kind of a final answer,' Cartwright said. 'We can
never change what happened, but it would be worse if either the culprit gets away
with (the murders) or someone else knows and is covering.'
'How can they live with themselves is probably what I can't comprehend,' Cartwright
added.
Although Johnson said he does have some animosity towards the justice system, he
feels the RCMP and everyone else involved in the case have done everything possible
to uncover the culprit. 'They have done everything they can,' he said.
There is no other alternative for the families now but to wait for someone to come
forward with new information.
Reward offered
In the meantime, a substantial reward of $25,000 is still available for any information
leading to the arrest of the culprit(s) in this case.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Turner Valley RCMP detachment
at 933-7227 or Crime Stoppers at 262-8477.
No end to grief
The families are hoping the community understands that for them there is no end
to the grief they are dealing with. 'We want people to know that this isn't going
away,' said Johnson. 'We still have to live here. This isn't solved and we still
hurt.'
He added, however, that, 'I appreciate the fact that people still remember and ask
me all the time what is going on. People do care about this case.'
Sept. 3, 1996 is a day no one in this community will forget and for the families
it is also a day they hope the killer will never forget -- or get away with.
