{"id":3247,"date":"2024-12-09T05:39:10","date_gmt":"2024-12-09T11:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/?p=3247"},"modified":"2024-12-09T05:57:36","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T11:57:36","slug":"french-president-francois-hollandes-visit-to-western-canada-in-2014-alberta-is-the-engine-of-the-canadian-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/eternal\/french-president-francois-hollandes-visit-to-western-canada-in-2014-alberta-is-the-engine-of-the-canadian-economy","title":{"rendered":"The Most Infamous Criminals in Alberta\u2019s History: Shocking Cases"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Alberta is a wonderful place to live, but like everywhere else, it has its &#8220;dark side.&#8221; Calgary Yes shares stories of Alberta&#8217;s most notorious criminals whose crimes shocked the public. More on <a href=\"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/\">calgaryes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0c077a59a5b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0c077a59a5b\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/eternal\/french-president-francois-hollandes-visit-to-western-canada-in-2014-alberta-is-the-engine-of-the-canadian-economy\/#The_Cook_Family_Massacre\" >The Cook Family Massacre<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/eternal\/french-president-francois-hollandes-visit-to-western-canada-in-2014-alberta-is-the-engine-of-the-canadian-economy\/#The_Richardson_Family_Murders\" >The Richardson Family Murders<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/eternal\/french-president-francois-hollandes-visit-to-western-canada-in-2014-alberta-is-the-engine-of-the-canadian-economy\/#The_Motive\" >The Motive<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/eternal\/french-president-francois-hollandes-visit-to-western-canada-in-2014-alberta-is-the-engine-of-the-canadian-economy\/#Mark_Twitchell\" >Mark Twitchell<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/eternal\/french-president-francois-hollandes-visit-to-western-canada-in-2014-alberta-is-the-engine-of-the-canadian-economy\/#Clifford_Sleigh\" >Clifford Sleigh<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/eternal\/french-president-francois-hollandes-visit-to-western-canada-in-2014-alberta-is-the-engine-of-the-canadian-economy\/#Derek_Jensen\" >Derek Jensen<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/eternal\/french-president-francois-hollandes-visit-to-western-canada-in-2014-alberta-is-the-engine-of-the-canadian-economy\/#Travis_Baumgartner\" >Travis Baumgartner<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Cook_Family_Massacre\"><\/span>The Cook Family Massacre<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1959, Albertans were horrified by the murder of the Cook family. John Etter Clark was a teacher, provincial politician, farmer, and a member of Alberta\u2019s Legislative Assembly. His career appeared successful, as did his personal life. He was married and had four children. However, this fa\u00e7ade shattered when he committed one of Alberta\u2019s deadliest mass murders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1956, a neighbour discovered six bodies and one injured individual, who later died in the hospital. Following the grisly discovery, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and special agents arrived at the scene. Among the dead were Clark\u2019s wife, three daughters, one son, a hired worker, and another individual believed to be a guest of the family. The weapon used was a rifle. Two years earlier, Clark had been hospitalized after a nervous breakdown, and during the spring legislative session prior to the murders, he experienced another breakdown\u2014with devastating consequences for his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"833\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/1-16.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/1-16.png 833w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/1-16-300x203.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/1-16-768x519.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/1-16-696x470.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 833px) 100vw, 833px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Clark avoided legal punishment, as he took his own life in 1956 at the age of 41.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Richardson_Family_Murders\"><\/span>The Richardson Family Murders<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/2-5-1024x640.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/2-5-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/2-5-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/2-5-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/2-5-696x435.jpg 696w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/2-5.jpg 1068w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This case occurred in 2006, when three members of the Richardson family were brutally killed by their 12-year-old daughter and her boyfriend. Jasmine Richardson and Jeremy Steinke (now Jackson May) carried out the murders using knives and were convicted of first-degree murder. Jasmine, who was 13 at the time of her sentencing, became the youngest person in Canada to be convicted of such a crime. She was released from a psychiatric hospital in 2016 after serving a 10-year sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Motive\"><\/span>The Motive<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/3-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/3-5.jpg 700w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/3-5-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/3-5-696x398.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What motivated such a crime? In April 2006, the bodies of Jasmine&#8217;s father, mother, and 8-year-old brother were discovered in their home\u2019s basement. Jasmine was initially thought to be a missing victim, but she and her 23-year-old boyfriend were arrested the following day. A 19-year-old friend of the couple was also charged as an accomplice for helping them destroy evidence. Jasmine later admitted that her parents had forbidden her relationship with Jeremy due to the significant age difference, frequently criticizing their union. As for her 8-year-old brother, Jasmine claimed it would have been &#8220;cruel&#8221; to leave Jacob parentless, so they decided to kill him as well. After fleeing the scene, the couple attended a house party, bragging about their crime\u2014a detail that ultimately led to their capture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By September 2011, Richardson was attending classes at Calgary\u2019s Mount Royal University. In 2012, she expressed remorse for her actions. Her boyfriend, however, will not be eligible for parole until 2033.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mark_Twitchell\"><\/span>Mark Twitchell<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"714\" height=\"770\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/4-12.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/4-12.png 714w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/4-12-278x300.png 278w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/4-12-696x751.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 714px) 100vw, 714px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Dubbed the \u201cDexter Killer\u201d by the media, Mark Twitchell was an aspiring filmmaker who lured a man to his death, dismembering the body afterward. Twitchell used a fake online dating profile to ensnare his victim. What made this case even more chilling was a document discovered on Twitchell\u2019s laptop, where he detailed his transformation into a serial killer. The document outlined his planning, the act of dismemberment, and other gruesome details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After Twitchell&#8217;s arrest, law enforcement uncovered that he had been inspired by the fictional character Dexter Morgan from the popular television series\u2014a cold, calculated sociopath. Twitchell sought to create his own &#8220;short thriller,&#8221; based on real-life events, with himself starring as the cold-blooded murderer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Twitchell was convicted in April 2011 for the murder of Johnny Brian Altinger, whom he had lured to a \u201ckill room\u201d in 2008. The case captured widespread media attention, with the public horrified by every new detail of this grim crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Clifford_Sleigh\"><\/span>Clifford Sleigh<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/5-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/5-3.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/5-3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/5-3-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/5-3-696x522.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a horrifying story of abduction, assault, and murder. In 1992, Clifford Sleigh kidnapped, raped, and killed a young girl. However, Sleigh remained free for 11 years before his arrest in 2003. Previously, Sleigh had been convicted of sexually assaulting two other young girls. Six-year-old Corrine \u201cPunky\u201d Gustavson\u2019s body was discovered two days after her disappearance in a truck yard. Investigations revealed that she had suffered sexual assault before being strangled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sleigh later told police he had been angry at his common-law wife and drove around looking for someone to harm. Spotting the girl playing with her friend, he chose her because she was closest to the fence. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for 25 years. At his sentencing, the then-42-year-old Sleigh broke down in tears, apologizing to Corrine\u2019s family, but the trauma for her loved ones remained immeasurable. Corrine\u2019s parents described how her death devastated their lives\u2014her father suffered a nervous breakdown, leading to the couple\u2019s separation. Her mother struggled to cope with the loss, unable to witness her daughter grow up, learn, or start her own family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Derek_Jensen\"><\/span>Derek Jensen<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"425\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/6-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3282\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/6-1.jpg 900w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/6-1-300x142.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/6-1-768x363.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.calgaryes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/12\/6-1-696x329.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This case involved the murder of two young men and a woman, with jealousy believed to be the primary motive. Derek Jensen had previously dated one of the victims, Tabitha Stepple, and witnesses reported him threatening her at a party, saying, &#8220;This won\u2019t end well for you.&#8221; Later, Jensen saw Tabitha with her friends at a convenience store in Calgary. Overcome by rage, he rammed his car into their vehicle, approached them, and shot all four individuals. Jensen then took his own life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among the deceased were Tanner Craswell, 22, and Mitch MacLean, 20\u2014teammates and best friends with promising futures in baseball. Tabitha Stepple also lost her life. Shaina Conway was the sole survivor, recovering after hospitalization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Travis_Baumgartner\"><\/span>Travis Baumgartner<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A former armoured car guard, Travis Baumgartner gained notoriety in 2012 for killing three colleagues and seriously injuring another during a robbery at the University of Alberta campus. At the time, Baumgartner was only 22 years old. He was arrested at the U.S. border in British Columbia and sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 40 years. This sentence was Canada\u2019s harshest since Arthur Lucas was executed in 1962 for the murder of a police informant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These chilling crimes remain dark chapters in Alberta\u2019s history. While they are among the most shocking, they are not the only crimes to have left an indelible mark on the province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alberta is a wonderful place to live, but like everywhere else, it has its &#8220;dark side.&#8221; Calgary Yes shares stories of Alberta&#8217;s most notorious criminals whose crimes shocked the public. More on calgaryes.com. The Cook Family Massacre In 1959, Albertans were horrified by the murder of the Cook family. John Etter Clark was a teacher, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":414,"featured_media":3285,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[490],"tags":[1545,1547,1268,1551,1550,1554,1553,1546,1541,1552,1544,1540,1542,1549,1543,1548],"motype":[491],"moformat":[1252],"moimportance":[100,101,104],"class_list":{"0":"post-3247","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pro-polituky","8":"tag-alberta-crime-cases","9":"tag-alberta-dark-history","10":"tag-alberta-history","11":"tag-alberta-justice-system","12":"tag-alberta-murder-cases","13":"tag-alberta-true-crime","14":"tag-canadian-crime-stories","15":"tag-clifford-sleigh-crimes","16":"tag-cook-family-massacre","17":"tag-criminal-cases-alberta","18":"tag-derek-jensen-tragedy","19":"tag-infamous-criminals","20":"tag-mark-twitchell-case","21":"tag-notorious-crimes-canada","22":"tag-richardson-family-murders","23":"tag-travis-baumgartner-robbery","24":"motype-eternal","25":"moformat-c-l","26":"moimportance-aktualna-bilshe-roku","27":"moimportance-golovna-novyna","28":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/414"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3247"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3288,"href":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3247\/revisions\/3288"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3247"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=3247"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=3247"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calgaryes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=3247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}