No Warranty
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A fatality inquiry in Drumheller heard Monday that police had received numerous complaints about an estranged husband who eventually killed his young son in a murder-suicide.
Rich Saunders killed his three-year-old son, Colton, and then took his own life, in 2008 while the child was with him for a court-ordered visit.
Their bodies were found in the man's small house in Drumheller, northeast of Calgary, in a room filled with carbon monoxide.
Saunders was involved in a long and bitter custody dispute with the boy's mother, Meara McIntosh, after their marriage failed in 2006.
"I was surprised that he had killed Colton instead of me," said McIntosh, who had at one point obtained a restraining order against Saunders and had to exchange custody of her son with her estranged husband in the RCMP parking lot.
"It makes sense, in hindsight, because to live through this is more painful than just passing away."
The inquiry, which is being headed by provincial court Judge Pat McIlhargey, will look at how RCMP and provincial child welfare officials handled events leading up to the tragedy.
RCMP Const. Mark Logan testified Monday that by Sept. 7, 2007, the local police detachment had 17 complaints on file against Saunders alleging he was threatening or stalking McIntosh.
The RCMP officer also told the inquiry the force's new domestic violence risk assessment practices were not employed in those cases.
None of the investigations resulted in charges.
"I pushed for this review because I didn't think that they took me seriously. I didn't feel that the officers understood the subtleties of domestic violence," McIntosh said.
Jan Reimer, a co-ordinator with the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters, said improvements are still needed in how police forces handle similar cases.
"Often I think there's not enough training on issues surrounding domestic violence," she said.
The inquiry is set to run until June 17.
Rich Saunders killed his three-year-old son, Colton, and then took his own life, in 2008 while the child was with him for a court-ordered visit.
Their bodies were found in the man's small house in Drumheller, northeast of Calgary, in a room filled with carbon monoxide.
Saunders was involved in a long and bitter custody dispute with the boy's mother, Meara McIntosh, after their marriage failed in 2006.
"I was surprised that he had killed Colton instead of me," said McIntosh, who had at one point obtained a restraining order against Saunders and had to exchange custody of her son with her estranged husband in the RCMP parking lot.
"It makes sense, in hindsight, because to live through this is more painful than just passing away."
The inquiry, which is being headed by provincial court Judge Pat McIlhargey, will look at how RCMP and provincial child welfare officials handled events leading up to the tragedy.
RCMP Const. Mark Logan testified Monday that by Sept. 7, 2007, the local police detachment had 17 complaints on file against Saunders alleging he was threatening or stalking McIntosh.
The RCMP officer also told the inquiry the force's new domestic violence risk assessment practices were not employed in those cases.
None of the investigations resulted in charges.
"I pushed for this review because I didn't think that they took me seriously. I didn't feel that the officers understood the subtleties of domestic violence," McIntosh said.
Jan Reimer, a co-ordinator with the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters, said improvements are still needed in how police forces handle similar cases.
"Often I think there's not enough training on issues surrounding domestic violence," she said.
The inquiry is set to run until June 17.
