Wheel exclusive - Family mourns murder victims

Siblings give exclusive interview on murder of Richardson family

By Pamela Roth
Staff Reporter

It was 4 a.m. when Pete Doolan was awakened from his sleep by a phone call from Ontario police, informing him that his sister and her family had been killed in their Medicine Hat home.
The news that his sister, Debra Richardson, along with her husband Marc and nine-year-old son Jacob were murdered still seems like a bad dream.
“I thought they had the wrong people,” said Doolan about the phone call from police. “How could a whole family go at once? They said, ‘There is no easy way of telling you this, but they are dead.’”
Last Thursday was the first day Doolan, his mother and his sister have eaten a real meal since receiving the chilling phone call early Monday morning.
Last Thursday was also the first day the family returned to Medicine Hat in order to identify the bodies of their relatives, whose lives were suddenly taken on April 23.
A 12-year-old girl, who cannot be identified, and her 23-year-old boyfriend, Jeremy Allan Steinke, both face three charges of first-degree murder in connection to the killings.
At this time, RCMP isn’t revealing the cause of death.
Doolan and his mother, gathered at his sister’s home in Okotoks to mourn the loss of their loved ones.
His sister, who doesn’t want to be identified, described the feeling as ”numbing.”
“How do you recover? You can’t put it behind you,” she said. “Life is anything but normal. Nothing will ever be normal again. With all the support from friends and family, we are all going to heal together and remember the love.”
In an effort to cope, the family is reflecting on the good times they have had with one another in the past.
Doolan remembers fondly how the Richardsons used to make gifts for one another at Christmas and how the family enjoyed spending time together.
“They couldn’t just go buy gifts, they all had to make them for each other,” Doolan said. “It was always wonderful when we got together.”
The last time Debra and her mother, who lives in Ontario, spoke to one another was on Easter Monday. They talked about how they missed one another and how it would have been nice if they were all together for the holiday.
It was a moment the mother remembers like it was yesterday.
“It was a nice day,” she said. “They were getting ready to go for a bike ride. They did everything together and went everywhere together.”
Marc, a 43-year-old engineer, is described by Debra’s family as the solid, quiet guy, who loved to putter around in his garage and could fix anything mechanical.
Debra, 48, on the other hand, was the opposite. According to her brother, she was a bubbly homemaker who loved life and loved her family — it was reflected on the family’s answering machine.
“Her answering machine message is, ‘Hello, you have reached the happy home of the Richardsons’,” said Doolan.
Their son Jacob, who was born in Okotoks at one of the Richardson’s home on Mothers Day, was a typical boy full of beans. (Pamela, this does not make sense)
During the trip to Medicine Hat last week, the family drove past the Richardson home. Although police tape still surrounded the crime scene, teddy bears and flowers littered the lawn.
“It was sad, but peaceful,” said Doolan. “She (Debrah) loved that house. To see the thoughtfulness of all the teddy bears and the flowers, it was comforting to us.”
The warm memories of the Richardsons were echoed at the funeral service at St. Peter’s Church in Okotoks on Saturday — the same church where Jacob was baptized and the family often came to worship before moving to Medicine Hat three years ago.
More than 100 family and friends gathered at the church to offer their condolences and celebrate the life of a family that was repeatedly described as loving.
“What happened was ugly; what happened was evil,” said Rev. Paul Orritt at the service. “What happened is beyond our imaginations. We think of them as victims. How could we not? Those who perpetrated the crime are victims. The family who are here today are victims.”
Since the tragedy, Doolan and his sister have been overwhelmed with support from the community, with donations of food and flowers regularly appearing on the doorstep of the Okotoks home.
The family has even received words of encouragement from people they’ve never met — gestures they are quick to embrace, but know won’t be able to fill the void left by their loved ones.
“I think we are going to have an open wound for the rest of our lives,” said Doolan. “We are going to celebrate their lives, but we still have the cuts. We just want people to know this was a good, loving family.”

Mourners leave the memorial service for Marc and Debra Richardson and their nine-year-old son Jacob which was held at St. Peter’s Church in Okotoks on Saturday. The family was murdered in their Medicine Hat home last week. A 23-year-old man and his 12-year-old girlfriend are in custody and charged with three counts of first degree murder. photo by Rae Holtsbaum

Crime - Suspects charged in Medicine Hat murders

Jeremy Allan Steinke, 23, and 12-year-old girl in custody

By Pamela Roth
Staff reporter

Medicine Hat police made the grisly discovery of the slain bodies of Debra and Marc Richardson and their nine-year-old son Jacob Richardson on April 23 after a neighbour reported seeing a body lying inside the family’s suburban home.
Upon arrival, RCMP entered the home and located the deceased family members inside, later confirming the family had been murdered.
The family recently moved to Medicine Hat after living in Okotoks for several years.
The bodies of the family were removed from the home the following day and were transported to Calgary for autopsies.
Even though the bodies have been identified, RCMP is not releasing the cause of death.
As a result of the slayings, Canada-wide warrants were issued for the arrest of one adult male and one female youth.
The pair was picked up shortly before 8 a.m. near Leader, Saskatchewan April 24 without incident and both were charged with three counts of first-degree murder.
Jeremy Allan Steinke, 23, who has a known history with police, and the12-year-old girl, who cannot be named, made their second appearance in court earlier this week.
Reports have suggested the pair developed a relationship on a vampire website, however, acquaintances have reportedly indicated the pair met at a concert three months ago.
Since the case unfolded last week, there have been no major developments as RCMP continues to sift through numerous tips from the public, which helped lead police to the suspects’ arrest.
“Our service is confident that the evidence we have collected so far will support the charges against the two parties we presently have in custody,” said Medicine Hat RCMP Sgt. Dave Townsend. “The investigation is continuing and we will not rule out the possibility of further charges.”
It’s believed no 12-year-old child has ever been charged with three counts of first-degree murder before in Canada. Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, a youth accused of murder must be at least 14 to be tried as an adult.