0:00

Ryan. Reynolds hear for Mint Mobile the

0:02

message for everyone paying Big Wireless Way

0:04

too much Please For the love everything

0:06

goodness world stop with meet. You can

0:09

get premium wireless for just fifteen dollars

0:11

a month Of course if you join

0:13

overpay. no judgments, but that's weird. Okay,

0:15

one judgment. Anyway,

0:18

And give it a try!

0:20

Mint mobile.com/switch. Upfront payment a forty

0:22

five dollars for three months required new subscribers

0:24

only when for twelve months to lock in

0:26

savings. Additional taxes, fees, and restrictions apply The

0:28

Mint Mobile. Com. This

0:33

podcast contains graphic content and may not

0:35

be suitable for all listeners. Listener

0:38

discretion is strongly advised. True

0:40

North True Crime is produced on the territories

0:42

of the Coast Salish people. Hello

1:01

everyone and welcome to True North True Crime and

1:04

part two of the Carissa Boudreaux case. If you

1:06

haven't listened to part one yet, I would suggest

1:08

that you do that now. Otherwise, this episode is

1:10

not going to make a whole lot of sense.

1:13

Okay, we still have a lot of ground to cover,

1:15

so let's go ahead and jump right into part two.

1:32

Yesterday, we told you about 12-year-old Carissa Boudreaux

1:34

who went missing on January 27, 2008 from

1:36

Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. Carissa

1:40

was last seen by her mother, Penny

1:42

Boudreaux, after the two had gone on

1:45

a drive together to have a heart-to-heart

1:47

conversation after some trouble in their relationship

1:49

since Carissa had moved in with Penny

1:51

and Penny's boyfriend, Vernon McCumber. Penny

1:54

said that she had last seen her daughter as she

1:56

left her vehicle to head into the Sobey's grocery store

1:58

to pick up a few items. and upon

2:00

her return to the vehicle, Carissa was gone.

2:03

After multiple searches, police still did not have

2:05

many leads to go on. They

2:08

had made the discovery of a pink croc on

2:10

a snowbank alongside a rural road that matched the

2:12

description of the footwear Carissa had been wearing that

2:14

evening, but they were still waiting on

2:16

the DNA evidence to come back from the lab. We're

2:19

gonna go ahead and jump right back into our timeline

2:21

here. We left off after Penny had

2:23

done her second press briefing in February of 2008,

2:27

and the police knew that they had to up the

2:29

ante if they wanted to uncover new leads in this

2:31

case. On Saturday, February 9th, 2008,

2:35

Detective Sergeant Scott Feener had the day off

2:37

and was looking forward to a much needed

2:39

day of restoration. He had

2:41

been working on Chris's case for the last 13 days

2:44

straight. Around noon, Scott received

2:46

a phone call. On the other

2:48

end, a police dispatcher informed Scott a

2:50

body had been found under the snow.

2:53

Scott immediately got into his car and

2:55

began calling the rest of the investigation

2:57

team to inform them of the discovery.

3:01

A nine-year-old boy and his mother had pulled over

3:03

at a turnaround point on the side of Highway

3:05

331 because he needed to

3:07

urinate. He found a spot where

3:09

he was out of sight of the passing motorists

3:11

when he saw frozen toes sticking out of the

3:13

snow. The boy and his

3:15

mother ran back up the highway where they flagged

3:17

down another driver and the police were called. Upon

3:20

the arrival of law enforcement, the scene was taped

3:22

off and they closed the highway to traffic. As

3:25

police made their way down the embankment, it was

3:27

difficult to discern what they were looking at. Most

3:30

of the body was covered in snow with

3:32

just toes sticking out. Later,

3:35

when asked to recall the scene, Detective

3:37

Sergeant Scott Feener stated, "'It was a

3:39

fluke of nature. The angle the

3:41

boy was looking down, he could see the frozen toes sticking

3:43

out of the snow. Had he been looking

3:45

the other way, he would have seen

3:47

nothing but snow.'" It wasn't

3:49

long before residents of Bridgewater, as well as members

3:51

of the media, caught on that something was going

3:53

on on the highway. Penny

3:56

and her aunt April entered the Pendleton

3:58

Corner Store, which sits on highway Highway

4:00

331 to get some cigarettes. April

4:03

asked the person at the front counter what was going

4:05

on with all the first responders down the road. The

4:08

owner told her, I think they found

4:10

Carissa. Another customer

4:12

overheard this conversation and gestured towards

4:14

Penny while whispering, that's Carissa's

4:16

mother. The owner was

4:19

mortified and told Penny that she was

4:21

so sorry. Penny's

4:23

response shocked her. That's

4:25

okay. We better head home in case

4:27

someone is trying to call us. The

4:30

owner was flabbergasted, expecting that the mother

4:32

would be running over to the scene

4:34

to find out immediately what was going

4:36

on. Forensics and the

4:38

medical examiner arrived on the scene. They

4:40

observed a body that was covered in an

4:42

inch of ice and snow, making it impossible

4:45

to determine the sex of the individual. It

4:48

did appear that the body had been there for some time

4:50

and it had rolled and come to a stop

4:52

just before the river. There was

4:54

no evidence of a struggle at the scene which

4:56

led investigators to believe that the victim had been

4:58

killed elsewhere and dumped on the side of the

5:00

highway. Other details in the

5:03

forensic reports were as follows. A

5:05

pink shirt was pulled up over the stomach

5:07

but still covered the breast area. A

5:10

pair of Winnie the Pooh bear panties had

5:12

been partially pulled down above the knees. The

5:15

left leg was naked while blue jeans covered

5:17

the right leg. A

5:19

bare left foot stuck up solid. A

5:22

brown striped sock covered the right foot.

5:25

One Caucasian female, roughly 5'4", long

5:27

brown hair. The

5:30

medical examiner, Matt Bose, noted that it appeared

5:32

that the body had been placed there. It

5:35

was no longer in rigor mortis and it appeared

5:37

that someone had moved the body after she

5:39

had been killed and dumped it. He also

5:41

noticed that there were swollen raised ligature marks

5:43

around the girl's neck. He also surmised from

5:46

the way that the clothes had been in

5:48

disarray that whoever was responsible for her death

5:50

had tried to make it look like a

5:52

sexually motivated crime but he was not convinced

5:54

that that was the case. Law

5:56

enforcement agreed to keep the details such as the

5:58

positioning of the body, the way the clothes

6:00

had been partially removed, as well as the cause

6:02

of death from the public as they knew it

6:05

would be crucial information that only the person responsible

6:07

for her death would know. In

6:09

the days after Carissa's body was located,

6:11

the RCMP amped up their efforts as

6:13

this case was now officially a homicide

6:16

investigation. Immediately, they

6:18

started surveillance on Penny and Vernon.

6:21

Officers monitored the couple's home at 220 Jubilee Road 24

6:23

hours a day. On

6:27

Monday, February 11, 2008, the

6:30

neighbors underneath Penny and Vernon's apartment heard

6:32

a commotion coming from the unit above

6:34

them. They called the

6:37

police to report the sounds of things being

6:39

thrown and screaming coming from Vernon. The

6:41

neighbors stated that they heard him telling

6:44

Penny he was leaving her and, quote,

6:46

"...how could she do this?" and

6:48

that he was disgusted with her

6:50

and that she had got him,

6:52

quote, involved. When

6:54

Al Cunningham reported to the apartment and

6:57

a very intoxicated Vernon stepped out of

6:59

the unit. Cunningham removed

7:01

Vernon from the premises, deciding that

7:03

a few hours to sober up

7:05

at the station would improve the

7:07

situation. Cunningham recalls

7:10

Vernon being very emotional, angry

7:12

and crying and saying things like, "...I'm

7:15

nothing if she's gone and I

7:17

want to help Carissa. I want

7:19

justice for Carissa." On

7:21

that same day, which would be Monday, police

7:24

asked Penny if she would be willing to

7:26

do a reenactment of her day with Carissa

7:28

on January 27. Hopeful

7:31

that retracing her steps might bring

7:33

up more information or memories. The

7:36

reenactment was consistent with Penny's initial statements

7:39

given to the police. But

7:41

what stood out to the officers was

7:43

as they were leaving the Sobey store, just

7:46

as Penny had on January 27, a

7:49

big picture of Carissa was visible above

7:51

the exit doors and Penny showed

7:53

no reaction to seeing it. Penny

7:56

also didn't ask investigators about their investigation

7:58

at all that day. She

8:00

didn't question when the body would be identified

8:03

and at times that day she was even

8:05

laughing. Yet another call came

8:07

into police that night to complain about

8:09

noise coming from Penny and Vernon's apartment.

8:13

This time from their next door neighbor

8:15

who allegedly heard a man having an

8:17

emotional conversation with someone over the phone.

8:20

The phone call was heard only from one side

8:22

and this is what the neighbor said they heard.

8:25

Bubby they are coming to get me. Get

8:27

me out of here Bubby. She

8:29

didn't want her kid. Fuck life.

8:32

I'm gonna get far far away. She

8:34

fucking killed her kid. I know it. She

8:36

did it. I wasn't there. She fucking did

8:38

it. I want rid

8:40

of her and her aunt. She fucking did

8:42

it Bubby. She fucking did it to her

8:44

own daughter. I gotta get out of here. I don't give a fuck about her or

8:47

her kid. Police's

8:50

suspicions were now confirmed that Penny and

8:52

Vernon were prime suspects in the murder

8:54

of Carissa Boudreau. They quickly

8:57

mobilized and got warrants to seize and

8:59

search both Penny's car as well as

9:01

the apartment. They also believed that

9:03

they had reasonable grounds due to the

9:05

neighbors statement of the overheard conversation to

9:07

arrest Penny and Vernon on Valentine's Day

9:09

2008. But

9:12

while they waited for the arrest warrant paperwork

9:14

to be completed, the autopsy of Carissa Boudreau

9:16

was held on February 13, 2008. They

9:21

were able to identify Carissa using

9:23

dental records and concluded that the

9:25

cause of death was asphyxiation from

9:27

strangulation. They were unable to

9:29

find any injuries to her genitals that would

9:32

be suggestive of a sexual assault. On

9:34

the morning of February 14, 2008, the

9:37

police called Penny Vernon as well as

9:39

Penny's aunt April to ask them to

9:41

come into the station as they had

9:43

an update regarding the investigation. As

9:46

soon as the three arrived, they were

9:48

separated and brought into interview rooms. Police

9:50

were eager to see who, if anyone,

9:53

would crack first. Police informed

9:55

each of them that they were able to identify the

9:57

body found on the side of the highway as Carissa.

10:01

Police then arrested Penny and Vernon,

10:03

but did not arrest April. Penny

10:05

immediately asked for a lawyer, and police

10:08

honed in on Vernon, identifying him as

10:10

the weaker of the two and more

10:12

likely to be forthcoming with information. But

10:15

after hours of grilling Vernon, he gave up

10:17

nothing. Meanwhile, in

10:20

a neighboring interview room, Penny was just

10:22

as tight-lipped. She didn't

10:24

even ask how her daughter died, nor did

10:26

she deny involvement when the officer suggested that

10:28

she had something to do with it. A

10:32

search of Penny's vehicle and the apartment was

10:34

conducted while Penny and Vernon were in custody.

10:37

Items that were seized included a digital camera

10:39

that had a photo of Carissa's knockoff pink

10:41

crocs, which matched the one that

10:43

they found on the snowbank. They also

10:46

came across a series of notes written by Penny

10:48

to Vernon which read, All

10:50

I know is that I love you both, but

10:52

you come first. You

10:54

are the most important person or thing in

10:56

the world to me. You

10:58

are my whole world. My sole purpose for

11:00

living is to build a life and memories

11:03

with you. While Penny

11:05

and Vernon were detained, police put undercover

11:07

officers in both of their holding cells

11:09

in another attempt to coax incriminating evidence

11:11

out of them. Their

11:13

plan failed, but in Vernon's case, the undercover

11:16

officer told him that he could offer him

11:18

some work on the outside, and

11:20

Vernon seemed keen on that idea. Also

11:23

on February 14th, 2008, police

11:26

provided media with the update that they had been

11:28

waiting for, that the body

11:30

located on Highway 331 was indeed

11:32

that of Carissa Boudreau. They

11:35

confirmed that they were considering her death a

11:37

homicide and that it was now a criminal

11:39

investigation. One reporter

11:41

asked how Carissa had died, but the police

11:44

refused to answer. They also

11:46

didn't answer when asked if there was any

11:48

sign of sexual assault or if they had

11:50

any suspects. But when

11:52

asked if the residents of Bridgewater were at

11:54

risk, the response was, the investigators

11:56

feel this is an isolated incident and

11:59

I would suggest Bridgewater is a pretty

12:01

safe community most of the time. Unfortunately,

12:03

the police did not have enough to

12:05

charge Penny or Vernon, and after 24

12:08

hours in custody, they were released

12:10

at 9.45 a.m. on February 15, 2008. The

12:15

community of Bridgewater was devastated by the

12:17

news that Carissa had not only been

12:19

located deceased, but that she was the

12:21

victim of a homicide. The

12:24

principal of Carissa's school, Bridgewater Elementary, brought

12:26

in a crisis team to be there

12:28

for the students as well as the

12:30

teachers. All that the

12:32

people of Bridgewater knew regarding who had

12:34

committed such an atrocity was that the

12:36

police had questioned two people who were

12:39

known to Carissa in connection with the

12:41

murder. A local owner of a sign

12:43

business, Nadine Sardi, decided to build a

12:45

sign to place at the location where

12:47

Carissa's remains were located. The

12:50

sign was five feet tall, with

12:52

a long-stemmed rose including a photo of

12:54

Carissa in the bud of the flower.

12:57

After they placed it next to the highway,

12:59

heartbroken residents began placing teddy bears at the

13:02

foot of the sign. People

13:04

gathered at the spot to honor Carissa's memory

13:06

and try to comfort one another. Nadine

13:09

did her best to keep the teddy bears

13:11

pristine, but the weather was making things difficult,

13:13

so she decided to build a shelter for

13:15

them. Moved by

13:18

Nadine's actions, a man who worked at a

13:20

hardware store paid for everything that she would

13:22

need. Nadine eventually came up

13:24

with the idea to donate the teddy bears

13:26

to children who had been affected by trauma

13:29

to give them something to hug. She

13:32

called them Carissa's Bears. A

13:34

local laundromat, Mr. Suds, washed

13:37

all 752 bears free of charge before they were all packed

13:41

into boxes and sent to various

13:44

places across Canada, including women's shelters

13:46

and fire halls. On

13:48

Tuesday, February 19, 2008, Carissa's funeral was helped. Only

13:53

400 people showed up to pay their respects,

13:55

way more than the venue could hold. The

13:58

reverend who knew Carissa Webb's after

14:00

years of Sunday school, had a difficult

14:02

time with his eulogy. Part of the

14:04

eulogy was, quote, This afternoon we are

14:06

in the midst of confusing thoughts and

14:08

emotions. Every one of us,

14:11

it's safe to say is asking

14:13

why. No human sense or reason

14:15

can be found in the fact that

14:17

such a young, beautiful, energetic life can

14:19

be snatched away so quickly, before

14:22

its hopes and plans had even begun

14:24

to be realized. After

14:27

the service was over, Penny and Vernon snuck

14:29

out a side door without thanking

14:31

the mourners who showed up. While

14:34

Carissa's funeral was being held, the police

14:36

were busy cooking up a new plan

14:38

of attack. It was decided

14:40

by the RCMP that they would employ

14:42

a tactic known as a Mr. Big

14:44

Sting. A Mr.

14:46

Big Sting is a law

14:48

enforcement strategy employed in undercover

14:50

operations, typically for serious criminal

14:52

investigations. In this approach,

14:54

undercover officers create a fictional crime

14:57

organization. They then strategically approach the

14:59

target suspect, gradually building a relationship

15:02

and gaining their trust by presenting

15:04

themselves as members of this fictitious

15:06

criminal group. Over time,

15:08

as the relationship develops, the suspect

15:11

may be subtly coerced or manipulated

15:13

into confessing or providing information about

15:15

their involvement in a real ongoing

15:18

criminal case. The intention

15:20

is to create a scenario in

15:22

which the suspect believes they are

15:24

joining a powerful criminal entity and,

15:26

to gain acceptance or prove their

15:28

loyalty, they have to divulge incriminating

15:30

details. Mr. Big Stings are

15:32

believed to have originated in the 1980s

15:35

in Kelowna, British Columbia by a police

15:37

officer who was curious how far he

15:39

could push the law. It

15:41

is still a very controversial strategy today

15:43

and is illegal and many parts

15:45

of the world, including the USA. The

15:48

undercover officer who would play a big

15:50

role in this Mr. Big Sting was

15:52

known as UC Steve or Undercover

15:54

Steve. His role was a

15:57

major mobster who ran the east coast side of

15:59

the United States. operations for a

16:01

Montreal-based gang. He was

16:03

a big guy with a mustache, a goatee,

16:05

a ponytail, and he disliked kids. Their

16:08

first target was going to be Vernon.

16:10

He was the easier mark in police's

16:12

minds. But while the

16:14

police were waiting for authorization to begin

16:17

the sting, another discovery was made. It

16:20

was February 25th, 2008, when a man discovered something unusual

16:24

in a trash can at a playground on

16:26

Jubilee Road. It was another pink

16:29

croc. He called his find into police who

16:31

showed up and dumped out the rest of

16:33

the contents of the trash can where they

16:35

found the pink croc, a black hoodie, and

16:37

a black vest, all matching

16:40

the description of what Carissa had been wearing

16:42

on the day of her disappearance.

16:44

On that same day, February 25th, 2008, first responders

16:48

were called to 220 Jubilee Road in

16:50

response to a female patient who had

16:53

taken an overdose of sleeping pills. That

16:55

patient was Penny Boudreau. This

16:58

attempt to end her own life was

17:00

unsuccessful and she recovered in hospital. Meanwhile,

17:04

Vernon drowned his sorrows in alcohol and during

17:06

a trip to a liquor store, he happened

17:08

to run into the undercover officer who had

17:10

been placed in the holding cell with him,

17:13

the same person who promised him a job.

17:16

This meeting was anything but a coincidence

17:18

and had been meticulously planned by law

17:20

enforcement. Vernon approached

17:23

the officer and the two exchanged phone numbers

17:25

with the promise of following up at a

17:27

later date. Vernon called

17:29

his new friend the very next day

17:31

and was introduced to UC Steve, the

17:34

boss of the so-called delivery operation.

17:37

Vernon and Steve spent the next three

17:39

months working days and nights together. UC

17:42

Steve seemed to impress Vernon with

17:44

his brand new pickup truck and

17:46

piles of cash and the two

17:48

became close friends rather quickly. Steve

17:50

told Vernon that the job would

17:52

initially be small delivery jobs but

17:55

as Vernon proved himself trustworthy and

17:57

capable, he'd start being given more

17:59

important jobs. jobs, and most importantly,

18:01

more money. These

18:03

jobs entailed moving fictitious illegal goods, as

18:05

well as counting the money they earned.

18:09

On March 2, 2008,

18:11

Penny and Vernon were notified that they needed

18:13

to be out of their apartment at 220

18:15

Jubilee Road after multiple noise complaints had been

18:18

made by their neighbors. Vernon

18:20

was devastated by this and confided in Steve

18:22

that he planned on breaking up with Penny

18:24

and moving to Halifax. Later,

18:27

Steve would recall that Vernon was struggling

18:29

with being accused of having anything to

18:31

do with Chris' murder and that he

18:33

would often cry because he missed her.

18:36

Vernon also confided in Steve that he only

18:38

trusted two people in the world, his

18:40

lawyer and UC Steve. The

18:43

two would attend parties with other

18:46

members of this fake crime gang,

18:48

pulling Vernon deeper and deeper into

18:50

this fictitious world and also

18:52

deepening his bond with Steve. Eventually,

18:55

in late March 2008, Penny

18:57

and Vernon both moved to Halifax but

19:00

had separate apartments. Their relationship

19:02

seemed to be on the rocks, but

19:04

an escape to a larger city gave

19:06

them both room to breathe. They weren't

19:08

as recognizable in Halifax. On

19:10

Tuesday, April 1, 2008,

19:12

Vernon got a call from his lawyer, who

19:15

happened to read about the police tactic of

19:17

using Mr. Big Stings, and warned him to

19:19

be careful. Immediately, Vernon

19:22

told his new buddy UC

19:24

Steve about his lawyer's warning.

19:26

And Steve very quickly responded, if you would

19:29

fall for something as stupid as that, you

19:31

can get the fuck out of my truck

19:33

right now. Vernon told

19:35

Steve that he would never fall for anything like

19:37

that, but just wanted Steve to be aware so

19:39

that they could watch out for each other. April

19:43

16, 2008, was

19:45

the day that Vernon was introduced to a

19:47

man who was higher up in the fake

19:49

crime syndicate. This man also

19:51

attempted to get Vernon to admit to being

19:53

involved with Chris' death. But Vernon stuck to

19:55

the same story he had been giving all

19:57

along. he

20:00

did suspect Penny had something to do with

20:02

it, but he couldn't prove it. It

20:04

was decided that they needed to pull Penny into the

20:07

sting, and they were going to use Vernon to

20:09

do it. So during a party on

20:11

May 1, 2008, UC

20:13

Steve answered a phone call from a higher up

20:15

who wanted to talk to Vernon, so he passed

20:17

the phone to him. The man

20:19

on the phone told Vernon that they needed a

20:21

woman and wanted him to recruit Penny for the

20:23

job. Vernon was initially hesitant

20:26

as he was sure Penny would decline

20:28

the offer, fearful of attracting more attention

20:30

to herself. It took a

20:32

few days of arguing, but eventually Vernon was

20:34

able to persuade Penny to join. After

20:36

a few weeks, Penny began doing small

20:39

jobs for the group and deepened her

20:41

relationship with an undercover officer who went

20:43

by UC Karen. Vernon

20:46

was offered a promotion that would move

20:48

him and Penny into a house in

20:50

Moncton, New Brunswick. Steve even provided the

20:52

couple with a safety deposit box that

20:54

contained $40,000 cash to prove

20:58

he was serious. At the

21:00

end of May 2008, the police were

21:02

planning their final set up, a

21:04

meeting between Mr. Big himself and

21:06

Penny Boudreau. It would

21:08

take place at the Radisson Hotel in Halifax.

21:11

Penny and Vernon knew the importance of this

21:13

meeting and were told that this man was

21:16

capable of making all of their problems with

21:18

law enforcement go away. Upon

21:20

entry to the impressive hotel suite, Vernon and

21:22

Steve were asked to leave so Mr.

21:24

Big could speak with Penny alone. An

21:27

entire team of police watched the meeting

21:30

from an adjacent hotel room via hidden

21:32

cameras and microphones as the two began

21:34

their conversation. Mr. Big

21:36

explained that he was the leader of the crime

21:38

syndicate and that he could help her but she

21:40

needed to be 100% honest with him and if

21:42

she wasn't willing to do so, she

21:45

could leave. Penny began by sharing

21:47

that she was deeply in love with Vernon and

21:49

that her child had been getting in the way

21:51

of her relationship with him. She

21:53

also claimed that Vernon had given her an

21:56

ultimatum. It was him or

21:58

Carissa. continued by going

22:00

through the events of January 7th, 2008, this time the actual

22:02

version. The

22:07

details of the drive and their argument

22:09

remained similar, but the story changed upon

22:11

their arrival at the Sobies parking lot. Penny

22:14

went into the store, and before she came out,

22:16

she called Vernon to inform him that she

22:18

could not find Carissa, who was still

22:21

alive and sitting in the passenger seat of

22:23

her red Dodge Neon. When

22:25

Penny returned to the vehicle, she put her groceries

22:27

in the trunk, pulled a piece of twine out

22:29

from where it had been stashed, and shoved it

22:31

into her jacket pocket. Penny told

22:34

Mr. Big that Carissa kept asking

22:36

to get out of the vehicle,

22:38

so Penny intentionally drove to William

22:40

Hebb Road, knowing it was a

22:42

desolate area. This time,

22:44

when Carissa asked to get out, Penny

22:46

let her. She explained that

22:48

she could not let her go back and tell

22:50

people what a terrible mom she was. It was

22:53

at this point that they both exited the vehicle.

22:57

Penny recalls it being snowy, dark, and

22:59

slippery when she tackled her daughter who

23:01

fell onto her back. Carissa

23:03

said, Mommy, don't, as

23:06

Penny used her knee to pin her daughter

23:08

to the ground before removing the piece of

23:10

twine from her pocket, putting it around Carissa's

23:12

neck, and pulling in a crisscross motion as

23:15

hard as she could until she felt Carissa

23:17

stop breathing. She said Carissa's eyes

23:19

were bulging, her tongue was stuck between her teeth,

23:21

and there was foam coming from her mouth as

23:23

she desperately tried to fight for air.

23:26

Penny was emotionless as she continued, sharing that

23:28

she placed her daughter's body in the footfall

23:31

of the passenger seat of the vehicle. She

23:34

then drove around with her daughter's corpse, unsure what

23:36

to do next. First, she

23:38

drove to the spot known as the turnaround,

23:40

and dragged Carissa's body, subsequently resulting in her

23:42

pants being pulled down and her sock coming

23:45

off. Penny then removed

23:47

Carissa's hoodie and vest and left her daughter

23:49

with just a t-shirt on. She

23:51

remarked to Mr. Big that it looked as

23:53

though someone had sexually assaulted her before she

23:56

rolled her body down the embankment. Penny

23:58

got back into the car and drove to the

24:00

spot. the playground where she disposed of the remaining

24:02

crock, the hoodie, and the black vest. Penny

24:05

finished by telling Mr. Big that the thought

24:07

of losing Vernon was harder than the thought

24:10

of losing Carissa. Mr.

24:12

Big then asked Penny to physically reenact

24:14

the way she had killed Carissa, as

24:16

well as write her recollection of events

24:19

so nothing was missed. Penny

24:21

complied. The police in

24:23

the adjacent room were so disturbed by what

24:25

they had heard that UC Steve had to

24:27

go be sick in the bathroom. They

24:30

had done it. They had everything

24:32

they needed to get Carissa and

24:34

her family the justice they all

24:36

deserved. We're now going to

24:38

take a quick break to hear from our sponsors.

24:47

Have you ever Googled your own name? Have

24:49

you ever Googled your own name? Prepare

24:51

for a shock because your personal info,

24:54

including addresses and phone numbers, is all

24:56

out there. It's all harvested by data

24:58

brokers and sold legally. Aura is

25:00

a personal digital security service that

25:03

scans the internet for your sensitive

25:05

information and provides a full suite

25:07

of privacy-enhancing tools. For a limited

25:10

time, Aura is offering listeners a

25:12

14-day free trial at aura.com.safety. That's

25:14

aura.com/safety to learn more and activate

25:17

the 14-day trial period. On

25:27

Friday, June 13th, 2008, UC

25:29

Steve and Vernon took a drive to Point

25:32

Pleasant Park where they sat and watched the

25:34

waves hit the rocks. Steve

25:36

knew that their time together was coming to a

25:38

close and that Vernon was about to realize that

25:41

he had been betrayed. The

25:43

undercover team was satisfied that Vernon had nothing to

25:45

do with Carissa's murder, nor did

25:47

he know that Penny was the one responsible. This

25:50

was lent even more credence when Mr. Big

25:52

took Penny for a drive to retrace her

25:54

steps on the evening of January 27th, 2008,

25:56

and Penny asked him... not

26:00

to tell Vernon what she had told him. U.C.

26:03

Steve felt bad for Vernon, and after they

26:05

spent a while chatting at Point Pleasant Park,

26:07

he hugged Vernon goodbye, knowing full well that

26:09

this would be the last time he would

26:11

talk to him. Later that

26:14

same day at a Costco parking lot,

26:16

police descended and arrested Penny Boudreau. They

26:19

told her she was being arrested for the murder

26:21

of her daughter, Carissa, and proceeded to read her

26:23

her charter rights. Penny spent that

26:25

night alone in a holding cell, and

26:27

the first thing the next morning her interrogation began.

26:30

Penny denied everything. Up until

26:32

the officers brought in a laptop and played

26:34

back the recorded confession she had made to

26:37

the so-called crime boss in the suite of

26:39

the Radisson. Penny

26:41

slumped in her seat and started sobbing as

26:43

she watched the undeniable evidence that she had

26:45

given play out on a screen in front

26:47

of her. She knew it

26:49

was over, and when law enforcement asked Penny

26:51

to write a letter to Carissa to secure

26:53

the confession would stand up in court, she

26:56

did. No one other than

26:58

the investigators has ever read this letter. Police

27:01

notified members of Carissa's family that they

27:04

had arrested Penny Boudreau and charged her

27:06

with murder, and their reaction was disbelief

27:08

and shock. That same

27:10

day, police held a last minute press briefing

27:12

where they confirmed to the public that they

27:15

had arrested Penny Patricia Boudreau and that she

27:17

would answer to the charge of first degree

27:19

murder in court on June 16, 2008. More

27:24

than 100 people showed up at the courthouse that

27:26

day, keen to get their eyes on the mother

27:29

who was capable of murdering her own child. The

27:31

town of Bridgewater was devastated and wanted Penny

27:34

to feel their wrath. They

27:36

wouldn't get much of a view, though, as the

27:38

van dropped Penny off at the back door of

27:40

the courthouse and she was quickly ushered inside. Many

27:44

of Carissa's family members were present

27:46

that day, including her father Paul,

27:48

his brother Shane, Carissa's step-aunt Chastity,

27:51

Vernon, and Penny's parents, who had driven more

27:53

than two hours to hear the charges against

27:56

their daughter. Penny cried

27:58

as she kept her head down during the arraignment. meant

28:00

that lasted no longer than five minutes. She

28:03

was charged with first degree murder

28:05

before being escorted outside where she

28:07

was met with a hostile crowd

28:09

who shouted child killer and murderer

28:11

at her. While Penny

28:13

awaited trial during the summer of

28:16

2008, she was held at CNSCF

28:18

or the Central Nova Scotia Correctional

28:20

Facility. From the start, Penny

28:23

was a target at the prison. Not

28:25

only was she a child killer, but she

28:27

had murdered her own child. That

28:30

same summer was when Carissa was supposed

28:32

to be graduating the sixth grade, and

28:34

although she didn't technically finish the school

28:36

year, Paul and Shane Boudreau were invited

28:38

to accept Carissa's diploma in her place.

28:42

The local police also wanted to do

28:44

something in memory of Carissa Boudreau and

28:46

opted to buy books that featured Carissa's

28:48

favorite thing, animals, and donate them to

28:50

local elementary schools. The

28:53

Crown prosecutors in this case, Paul Scoville and

28:55

Denise Smith, knew that they had a very

28:57

strong case against Penny, and would likely be

28:59

able to convince a jury that she was

29:02

guilty of first degree murder. They

29:04

had a videotape confession from Penny, and the

29:06

fact that many parts of this crime were

29:08

clearly deliberate and planned. Examples

29:11

of that are Penny called Vernon from Sobey's

29:13

letting him know that Carissa had already disappeared

29:15

when she was alive and well inside the

29:17

vehicle, and Penny deliberately grabbing

29:20

the piece of twine from the trunk with

29:22

the intention of using it to end her

29:24

daughter's life. The defense

29:26

lawyer, Pat Atherton's goal, was to get his

29:28

client the least amount of time behind bars

29:31

as possible. He ordered a mental

29:33

health assessment for Penny, which came back with

29:35

the result of her not having suffered a

29:37

mental disorder at the time of the crime,

29:39

which was unhelpful to their case. There

29:41

was discussion as early as November of 2008 in

29:44

regards to Penny pleading guilty to the lesser

29:47

charge of second degree murder. On

29:50

Thursday, December 4th, 2008, Penny's

29:52

defense team confirmed that it was her wish to

29:54

be tried by Judge and jury. Judge

29:56

Stewart set the date for the trial to commence.

29:58

January 30th, 2008. 2009,

30:01

almost exactly one year to the date

30:03

that Penny murdered her daughter. January

30:06

30, 2009 was a Friday. The

30:09

atmosphere outside the courthouse in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia

30:11

was tense. Media trucks were parked

30:14

nose to tail on the street and

30:16

reporters were jostling for the best vantage

30:18

points. Penny entered the

30:20

courtroom wearing a dark t-shirt and a

30:23

large cross-pendant necklace. She carried

30:25

a tissue in her shackled hands. Once

30:27

everyone was seated and the courtroom quieted

30:30

down, Penny's defense lawyer stood and declared

30:32

that his client wished to plead

30:34

guilty to the lesser offense of

30:36

second-degree murder. The courtroom

30:39

remained silent, but uncomfortable shuffling could be

30:41

heard as it seemed everyone leaned forward

30:43

in their seats, eager to hear what

30:45

was going to happen next. Judge

30:48

Stewart requested Penny to stand as he asked

30:50

her the following questions. Do you

30:52

understand that by pleading guilty to this charge

30:55

of second-degree murder, you are giving up your

30:57

right to a trial on this charge? Penny

30:59

said yes. Do you admit that

31:02

you killed Carissa? Yes. Do

31:04

you admit that when you killed her, you

31:07

intended that she die? Yes. It

31:10

was then time for the prosecution to read

31:12

out victim impact statements on behalf of Carissa's

31:14

family and loved ones. The

31:16

first one read was from her father,

31:18

Paul Boudreau. These quotes

31:21

again come directly from the book, Mommy

31:23

Don't, by Sherry Aikenhead. Here

31:25

is Paul's statement. The first second

31:27

of Carissa's life in the world was the most

31:29

incredible experience of my life. I

31:31

stayed by her side from birth until the end.

31:34

My life with Carissa has been the focal

31:36

point of my happiness from the time I

31:39

realized the huge bond between us when she

31:41

first began to speak, saying, I

31:43

love you, Daddy, to talking about the

31:45

problems of becoming a teenager. I

31:47

had dreams of being a part of many big things

31:50

that Carissa had the potential to be. There

31:53

were dreams of spending retirement with

31:55

grandchildren. Now all

31:58

of those dreams are gone. The

32:00

center of my happiness is shattered

32:02

and hopes and dreams wiped away

32:04

in one selfish act. Carissa

32:07

was loved by her family and

32:09

we were all so proud of her accomplishments

32:11

and her personality. Now

32:13

I have to look into their eyes and

32:16

see the deep sorrow and emptiness for

32:19

a person that used to bring so much excitement and

32:21

joy. My community, friends,

32:24

and co-workers have all been

32:26

crushed by this senseless act. The

32:29

next victim impact statement we are again quoting

32:31

from the book Mommy Don't. Now

32:33

this was from Carissa's aunt Chastity who was

32:35

representing the rest of the Boudreaux family. It

32:38

reads as follows, Thank you

32:40

for allowing my family to present their statements in

32:42

court today. I have

32:44

chosen to speak because I owe it

32:46

to the importance of Carissa's memory and

32:48

I want Penny, who may not

32:50

understand the magnitude of the loss she has

32:52

inflicted on me and my entire family to

32:55

hear how all of my family has been

32:57

affected by this new, unwanted,

32:59

and unrealistic role that has been

33:01

forced upon us all. A

33:04

role that can be better described as a

33:06

nightmare. There are no words to describe what

33:08

our family and I have endured over the

33:11

past year. Shock,

33:13

denial, hurt, and helplessness are just some

33:15

of the emotions that come to mind.

33:18

We strive each day to ask the

33:20

pointless question. Why? But

33:23

rather focus on what good can come

33:25

of this senseless act of violence. Carissa's

33:27

presence was always felt when she walked into

33:30

a room. She could strike up a conversation

33:32

with anyone and was known for her sense

33:34

of humor and her ability to talk. Her

33:37

life was taken as a result of the choices

33:39

that were made. Compassion is

33:42

a word commonly used for and

33:44

by a defendant. However, I ask

33:46

how much compassion did Penny consider

33:49

when the decision was made to murder Carissa?

33:52

Carissa was handed a death sentence and

33:56

we've been handed a life sentence. The

33:59

judge then invited Penny to address the

34:01

court, which she did, by simply

34:03

saying, I'm sorry, before sitting

34:05

back down. The judge had

34:07

harsh words for Penny. Before

34:10

she delivered her sentence, again, this is quoted from

34:12

the book, Mommy Don't. The

34:14

judge states, surely Penny Boudreau, you

34:16

can never call yourself mother in

34:18

conjunction with Carissa's name again. And

34:21

the words, Mommy Don't, from your trusting and

34:23

loving Carissa, are there to haunt you for

34:26

the rest of your natural life. The

34:29

judge asked Penny to stand once again before

34:31

saying, Penny Patricia Boudreau,

34:33

I sentence you to imprisonment for

34:35

life. Eligibility for consideration

34:37

for release on parole will not

34:39

occur until you have served 20

34:42

years from the date of your arrest. Miss

34:45

Boudreau, I am required by the Criminal Code to

34:47

tell you this. You have

34:49

been found guilty of second degree murder

34:51

and sentenced to imprisonment for life. You

34:54

were not eligible for parole for 20 years until June

34:56

14, 2028. However,

35:00

after serving at least 15 years of

35:03

your sentence, you may apply under what

35:05

is known as the faint hope clause.

35:07

This will give you a reduction in the

35:10

number of years of imprisonment without the eligibility

35:12

for parole. If the

35:14

jury hearing your application, should you

35:16

make one, reduces the period of

35:18

parole ineligibility, you may then apply

35:20

for parole under the Corrections and

35:22

Conditional Relief Act at the end

35:24

of that reduced period. The

35:27

judge then turned to the bailiff and stated, you

35:29

may remove the offender. Vernon McCumber

35:31

did not attend court on January 30, 2009,

35:34

and any hope Penny had of

35:36

a last glimpse or a goodbye was

35:38

dashed. The man she considered

35:40

more important than the life of her

35:42

own daughter was a no-show. Vernon

35:45

did sit down for an on-camera interview for

35:47

CTV Atlantic and will play a portion of

35:49

that interview for you now. Tell

35:52

me a little bit about your

35:55

feelings around this whole issue of

35:57

what people think of you. By

36:00

that I mean there is a public perception

36:02

that you must have known or you

36:04

must have played a part in Carissa's

36:06

murder. I know it was very

36:08

hurtful. I was

36:10

devastated myself, it broke my heart. Especially

36:13

to have a terrible thing like this

36:15

happen. It

36:17

just was hard on me. People thought

36:19

I'd done something and I had to

36:21

live with that. Even with

36:23

the work I had to leave Bridgewater because

36:26

people had their opinions about me. I

36:29

had an effect on me trying to get a job as well

36:31

down here. Every time I

36:34

applied for a place or something

36:36

they knew about what went on and they had their

36:38

own decision with that. I had a hard time getting

36:41

work as well. I

36:44

couldn't say anything, I couldn't talk

36:46

to anybody because I wasn't

36:49

allowed to talk about it.

36:52

Just to go through that alone

36:54

was just a nightmare. Do

36:57

you understand why people might have had

36:59

that perception or why the community maybe

37:01

had those feelings? I

37:03

can see how it would affect them too. I'm

37:06

the type of person I don't judge. I'd

37:10

be careful how I judge. You

37:12

couldn't be so wrong about

37:14

somebody. That happens a lot. Talk

37:18

a little bit more about what happened to you. When

37:22

this all happened, I mean of course, anybody, I drank.

37:26

That's the only way I could cope with it. I

37:29

started drinking a lot. That's

37:33

what I did to survive. I

37:37

had to get some help with that. To

37:40

have people think that you didn't do

37:42

anything. Going through the whole thing. Except

37:45

you were living with the mother of this child. Living

37:48

with Penny. She

37:51

tells you that they didn't do nothing. You've got to try

37:53

to believe somebody. You've got to at least

37:55

be there for them. You

37:57

just can't walk away from them.

38:00

especially her going through this and I believed her.

38:02

Do you remember the news conference? Because I remember

38:05

your face at the news conference. You almost looked

38:07

as though you were in disbelief or

38:09

shock. You

38:11

had, I thought you had a very strange look on your

38:13

face. It was, it was just, I just didn't know what

38:16

to do. I was just, it was

38:18

just such a horrible nightmare that was, it

38:20

was like a bad dream unfolding.

38:22

And I just didn't know what to do, you

38:24

know, to be there for Penny and the rest

38:26

of the family too, but you felt that the

38:28

eyes were on you. And

38:31

that's the way I felt though, that they were

38:33

looking at me like I've done something. But why

38:35

did you tell her to make that choice? You

38:37

said, you know, it's either Carissa or

38:40

me. No, actually I didn't, actually I said,

38:42

because they were fighting them quite a bit. And

38:44

I asked them, you know, you have to do

38:46

something about, this is not a productive family when

38:48

they're arguing and fighting. And I could come home

38:50

and hear them screaming and hauling, right,

38:52

as I was coming up the stairs. So I knew

38:55

the, you know, and I was new in their

38:57

family. So I thought, well, when we

38:59

all sit down, we're gonna see a counselor or something. That's

39:01

what I wanted to, you know, because the show kid that,

39:03

because she's going through a rough time where

39:06

the divorce was, right? So,

39:08

you know, and that's why I mentioned that, something

39:10

had to be done with their fighting because

39:12

it got, so it was destructive, not

39:15

constructive of the family, right? It was just all the

39:17

time in the mornings and, you know,

39:19

and I come home and hear the maragooning. So

39:22

that's basically what it was about. So

39:25

when you were sitting beside her that day in the

39:27

news conference, you really didn't know, you

39:30

had no idea at that point. No, I had no idea.

39:32

I had no idea. I just pleased her. I

39:35

really was in love with Penny. You know, I fell

39:37

in love with her and Carissa too. I

39:40

mean, she was a sweetheart. She always used to make

39:42

me laugh. So Carissa did?

39:44

Yes, she did. She always made me laugh. She'd wait,

39:46

hear my feet coming up the stairs and when I

39:48

come in and she opened the door, 11

39:50

o'clock, she'd go poo. And I said, they took

39:53

two years off my life, right? And she was, you

39:55

know, just a kid, a typical kid, you

39:57

know, a typical 12 year old. There's also

39:59

stories. about the two of you partying,

40:01

doing drugs, drinking. Well, now I had a

40:03

beer after work. I mean, I love to

40:06

sit down after work and have a beer

40:08

of whom, but as far as the partying

40:10

and stuff like that, that's not true. That's

40:12

far from the truth. If we were

40:15

drinking, if it's to drink your sorrels, I mean,

40:17

because you just couldn't deal with it. For

40:19

you? For me. So

40:22

you were drinking quite heavily during that time? Oh,

40:24

absolutely. I hit the... Yeah,

40:26

I drank really hard. And

40:28

it just seemed to... Because I was just

40:30

trying to stay numb, because it was

40:32

so hard to... This whole situation.

40:35

You really can't, unless you've been

40:38

there, and you go through it yourself

40:40

and then you realize the tragedy of

40:42

it. Now

40:44

we're a mother. That's a tragedy there.

40:47

It's a nightmare. Were you scared? Oh,

40:49

terrified. Absolutely,

40:51

nothing worse than having somebody

40:53

think that you harmed a child or the

40:55

police blaming you for that. I know

40:57

they had to get to the truth, but that's

41:00

the terrifying feeling. I took a lot of

41:02

heat. It seemed to me I was getting... I

41:05

got most of the flack. Everybody was, oh,

41:07

he had to do something. And always like this,

41:09

never maybe understanding my feelings, what

41:11

I was going through. I'm not just about

41:13

myself here, but it's

41:16

the truth, what I was going through. And

41:19

that's the way I felt. You paid quite a

41:21

price, as I understand it. You said even your family turned

41:23

away from you? Just even family members and

41:25

friends, co-workers that

41:27

even thought, you know what I mean?

41:31

And I was alone, but I knew in my heart

41:33

that God knows my heart and knew I've done nothing.

41:35

He knew that. But I

41:38

was the only one. It just seemed like, well,

41:40

he was the only me and God that knew the truth. And

41:45

it says, I just can't explain how

41:47

that made me feel. And not

41:49

only that, I mean, I cared for the

41:51

family, their father, and see them hurt. Their

41:54

broken hearts, and I know how much they loved

41:56

that child too, to see them go through this

41:58

too, was even hard for me. me to watch them.

42:01

Even knowing they may look at me a little

42:03

different. So how did it

42:06

come undone then? How did her story

42:08

unravel and how does

42:10

it end up to be where we

42:13

are now? I just felt something was

42:15

not right though. You felt something in

42:17

your gut? Yeah, in your stomach. It

42:19

just felt deep down. There was something

42:22

wrong and it wasn't

42:24

just right. I think other people felt

42:26

that too. They can feel something. It

42:28

just wasn't like a normal,

42:30

breathing person should be acting like, especially

42:33

losing their daughter. At

42:35

that point, what did you do? I

42:37

was having mixed feelings about it myself. You

42:40

wanted to be there for somebody, but yet

42:42

you didn't want to be around them. Because

42:45

feeling that they've done something like that. Did

42:47

you call police? I've cooperated

42:50

with the police from the very

42:52

beginning. Did you tell the

42:54

police I have a feeling this is just my

42:56

sense? Well, I did tell them that. I

42:59

did actually tell them that in the interview. I

43:01

even went in and said, I feel something is

43:03

just not right. I told them how I

43:05

felt. I'm going to tell the truth. I

43:11

did. I told them whatever I could to

43:13

help them. It's

43:15

always over. I always

43:17

tried to help them until they started looking at

43:19

me and accusing me. I can't

43:21

cooperate then. I'm scared to

43:23

death for myself. You

43:26

offered to take a lie detector test? Yes, I did.

43:30

They asked me if I'd take one and I said, sure. I

43:33

called them up a couple of days later because they were

43:35

going to arrange it. All of a sudden, they changed their

43:37

mind. They didn't want me to take a lie detector test.

43:39

At what point did you know that she'd

43:41

murdered Corryston? When was that very

43:44

clear? It wasn't clear

43:46

until I heard her

43:48

confession. I thought in

43:50

my heart there were some

43:53

things that made me question,

43:55

but I gave her the benefit of the doubt.

43:58

How do you feel about talking today? I'm

44:00

glad to be able to, I finally

44:02

be able to talk and you know and

44:05

have my, you know, have my say as

44:07

well. You know, just to tell them what

44:09

I've been through. That it wasn't

44:11

easy here. It was no picnic for anybody. And

44:15

tell the family too how much I, you know, I'm

44:17

so sorry for them. You know, see

44:19

their pain that they went through. Will you ever

44:21

be able to see them and tell them yourself? I

44:24

hope so, yes. I hope so

44:26

that I can tell them that. Because

44:29

I really do it from my heart, I feel for them. You

44:32

know, they've been all through this too, you know.

44:35

Have you been to Carissa's memorial site? I

44:38

haven't, I wasn't able to go because people thought

44:40

that I had something involved with this and I

44:43

couldn't even go to the memorial. You

44:45

know, until this was settled, you know. You

44:49

know, like I said, I didn't want any confrontations

44:51

with anybody and you know, people are entitled to

44:53

their opinion but I mean, I'd

44:55

be right but... Will you do that? Do you

44:57

think you'll visit this site? Absolutely. Yeah, that's

44:59

going to be my first agenda actually,

45:01

is to go and take

45:04

one of her bearers to the site that she

45:06

had given me. That

45:08

was the bearish... Well, I gave her a

45:10

bear who called Teddy. I have

45:12

her, she drew me up like a

45:15

crayon, you know, thanking

45:17

me for giving her the bear because I said I had a bear

45:19

and I said it needs a home, right? She

45:21

thought it was great. She called a pause. You

45:24

know how sometimes people

45:26

say, you know, things happen for a reason.

45:29

Can you see any reason? No.

45:36

I know, well, this one's avoidable.

45:39

It shouldn't have happened. If

45:42

I had went that day, maybe I would have,

45:44

you know, I feel guilty sometimes and if I

45:46

had just insisted to go, she'd have been okay,

45:48

right? But I had no idea.

45:51

It'd be the last time I see her. I

45:55

had no idea. is

46:00

when Penny Boudreau first began to apply

46:02

for day parole from the Nova Institute

46:04

for Women in Truro, Nova Scotia. The

46:07

facility is considered medium-minimum security and

46:09

allows inmates to live independently in

46:12

their units with their own bedrooms

46:14

and common areas. The women

46:16

share the household responsibilities such as cooking

46:19

and cleaning and this is all to

46:21

prepare them for the shift back into

46:23

society come their eventual release dates. Penny

46:26

wanted to be granted day passes

46:28

to attend church considered a

46:30

path for personal development. According

46:33

to the parole board, Penny

46:35

had improved since her incarceration

46:37

having completed multiple correctional programs

46:40

for self-management. Penny explained

46:42

to the board that at the time of

46:44

Carissa's murder she was still suffering from the

46:46

loss of her own mother to suicide and

46:48

had felt desperate to be a perfect mother

46:50

to Carissa. She didn't know how

46:53

to fix her relationship with her daughter and

46:55

admitted she didn't harbor typical maternal

46:57

feelings for her. Penny said

46:59

she had learned the importance of asking for

47:01

help during her time at the Nova Institution.

47:05

They considered her in a low range

47:07

of risk to reoffend and her request

47:09

for day passes was granted. Penny

47:11

would be allowed to leave the

47:14

Nova Institute four times per year

47:16

accompanied by two corrections officers for

47:18

church visits. Needless to

47:20

say the reaction of the family members

47:22

and the community of Bridgewater was that

47:24

of shock, appall, and rage. Penny

47:27

had just served 10 years of her life

47:29

sentence and she was already being given a

47:31

taste of freedom. Members

47:33

of the family who had given victim impact

47:35

statements at the sentencing hearing weren't even given

47:37

a heads up by the parole board of

47:39

their decision and were forced to find out

47:42

through the media. In the

47:44

last six years Penny Boudreau has been given

47:46

many day passes mostly to attend church. In

47:49

September of 2023 she was allowed to

47:51

visit an ailing prison chaplain who was

47:53

said to be a mentor and spiritual

47:55

guide to Penny. The community

47:57

continues to voice its opposition to these temporary

48:00

releases each time they happen, but

48:02

their voices seemingly fall on deaf

48:05

ears. Penny Patricia

48:07

Boudreau will be able to apply for

48:09

full parole in June of 2028. However,

48:14

even if she is granted that parole, she

48:16

will be under strict restrictions for the rest

48:18

of her life. When

48:20

Paul Boudreau was asked by Crime Beat

48:22

in 2020 if he would ever forgive

48:25

his ex-girlfriend for her actions, he said,

48:27

quote, ever since this happened,

48:29

she's never faced any of us. I

48:32

want her to look me in the eye and

48:34

tell me that she's rehabilitated and should be out

48:36

starting a life over again. If

48:38

she can give me one good reason why she

48:41

thinks that should happen and why she should be

48:43

out, I won't argue, but

48:45

I guarantee you that's not going to happen.

49:01

The murder of Carissa Boudreau left a

49:03

lasting mark on the town of Bridgewater,

49:06

Nova Scotia. On the

49:08

first anniversary of Carissa's death, over 200

49:11

people showed up to a candlelit vigil where

49:13

mourners were asked to donate to the Shade

49:15

Tree Animal Shelter on the outskirts of

49:17

Bridgewater in honor of Carissa's deep love

49:19

for animals. The

49:22

police who handled Carissa's case were

49:24

also deeply impacted in the aftermath. A

49:26

former constable by the name of Christine Bonnell

49:29

recalled being assigned to Penny Boudreau in the

49:31

immediate days and weeks following Carissa's

49:33

disappearance. She doesn't remember Penny

49:35

showing any emotion, but she

49:37

does recall Carissa's grandfather falling to

49:39

the ground in tears, which in turn

49:42

made her cry alongside him. When

49:45

the truth of how Carissa died came to light,

49:47

the constable had to seek out mental

49:49

health support, knowing she had looked after

49:51

the woman responsible. UC

49:54

Steve, who was also deeply impacted by

49:56

his involvement in the Mr. Big Sting,

49:58

took his family to Carissa's memorial

50:00

where her body was recovered to

50:02

pay their respects. UC

50:05

Steve and Vernon have never been in contact

50:07

again, but UC Steve does believe

50:09

that he accidentally ran into Vernon in a lineup

50:12

at a coffee shop in 2013. While

50:15

he didn't make eye contact with Vernon, he

50:18

believes Vernon spotted him as he quickly walked

50:20

away from his spot in line and left

50:22

the cafe. UC Steve

50:24

is still an undercover officer and we thank

50:26

him for his great work on this case

50:29

and so many others. Denise

50:31

Nickerson, who we introduced in episode 1

50:33

as one of Carissa's first best friends,

50:36

carried the memory of Carissa across the stage with her

50:38

as she graduated high school in June of 2014. She

50:42

recalled thinking that Carissa should have been there graduating

50:44

with the rest of her class. Those

50:46

were her people. On that

50:49

day, during a drive in their car,

50:51

Denise was listening to the radio when

50:53

Bubbly by Colby Calais came on, Carissa's

50:55

favorite song, one she sang

50:57

constantly. Denise was so

50:59

overcome with emotion that she had to pull the

51:01

car over and call her mom. She

51:04

was convinced that it was Carissa right there in the

51:06

car with her. Vernon

51:08

McCumber has kept a low profile

51:10

in the years since Carissa's murder

51:12

and Penny's sentencing. His close friend says he

51:14

hasn't heard from Vernon in over a decade when Vernon

51:16

looked at him and said, if you

51:18

don't see me tomorrow, you won't see me for a

51:21

long time. And Vernon stuck

51:23

to his word. That was 12 years

51:25

ago and his friend hasn't seen him since. His

51:28

close contacts believe that he went to Ontario

51:30

to escape the publicity that the case bring.

51:33

Some of the people interviewed for the book,

51:35

Mommy Don't, believe that Vernon was just as

51:37

much of a victim of Penny Boudreaux as

51:39

the other family members who have been left

51:41

to pick up the pieces after a senseless

51:43

crime. Paul and Shane

51:46

Boudreaux both remarried and think of

51:48

Carissa Daly. Paul said

51:50

the following when he was interviewed in 2020 by Crime Beat, Quote,

51:56

I want to remember my happy go lucky girl. She's

51:59

been in my life every day. every day. She

52:01

never laughed. We'd like to

52:03

thank you for tuning in to this episode of True

52:05

North True Crime. If you'd

52:07

like an even deeper dive into this

52:09

case, we highly recommend checking out the

52:11

book Mummy Don't by Sherry Aikenhead. If

52:14

you were moved by Carissa's story, we think

52:16

it would be appropriate to donate to a

52:18

local animal shelter of your choice in honor

52:21

of Carissa Boudreau's love for animals. That's

52:24

all we have for this episode. We will see

52:26

you again soon for a brand new episode. Until

52:28

then, stay safe everyone. Stay

52:31

safe.