NationStates Jolt Archive

This case is just getting weirder and weirder. Liana White went missing about two weeks ago in Edmonton, Alberta, and the police were telling everyone not to worry, that Edmonton is still a safe city (despite the many prostitutes (http://www.edmontonsun.com/Comment/Commentary/2005/07/19/1137766.html) that have been murdered and dumped, but I guess it's 'expected' that prostitutes will be murdered, while this woman was a middle-class medical clerk.). The husband went on tv a number of times, breaking down as he talked about his wife (four months pregnant). I felt terrible for him...and now he's been charged with her murder...all along the police have been dealing strangely with this case...ignoring scenes and then combing over them a little belatedly...it really makes me wonder what the hell is going on here...did the husband do it? Why all the mystery surrounding the case?

http://www.canada.com/news/national/story.html?id=13a1972e-142e-438f-844f-a56bd063075c

Michael White charged with second-degree murder of pregnant wife, Liana

EDMONTON (CP) - As the questions mount in the Liana White case, so do the suspicions.
A husband pleads for his wife's return - and then he happens to be in the search crew that finds her body. The body is found on the city's outskirts - like that of several others killed by someone apparently stalking Edmonton women -but police don't want to talk about it.
The case had also raised fears that Liana White had fallen prey to a multiple killer who has yet to be caught. But that attacker has mostly targeted prostitutes, and a spokesman for the task force investigating those deaths said they were not called in on the White case.

This case is just getting weirder and weirder. Liana White went missing about two weeks ago in Edmonton, Alberta, and the police were telling everyone not to worry, that Edmonton is still a safe city (despite the many prostitutes (http://www.edmontonsun.com/Comment/Commentary/2005/07/19/1137766.html) that have been murdered and dumped, but I guess it's 'expected' that prostitutes will be murdered, while this woman was a middle-class medical clerk.). The husband went on tv a number of times, breaking down as he talked about his wife (four months pregnant). I felt terrible for him...and now he's been charged with her murder...all along the police have been dealing strangely with this case...ignoring scenes and then combing over them a little belatedly...it really makes me wonder what the hell is going on here...did the husband do it? Why all the mystery surrounding the case?
The charge is second-degree murder. It may be police think he accidentally killed her. They're not saying what evidence led to his arrest.

The charge is second-degree murder. It may be police think he accidentally killed her. They're not saying what evidence led to his arrest.
I'm confused by the charge as well, though wouldn't he be charged with manslaughter if the killing was accidental? He's also being charged with 'indignity to a body', so he might have mutilated her post-mortem. I hope he is also charged with leading everyone around on a goose chase, with misleading the media and the police, and any thing else they can get him on.

Still, I can't help but be a bit dimsayed at the amount of attention this case got compared to all the prostitutes that have been kidnapped and murdered.

The charge is second-degree murder. It may be police think he accidentally killed her. They're not saying what evidence led to his arrest.
Second degree is murder without premedition, but with malice. Murder without malice (eg, accidental) is manslaughter, involuntary.

Second degree is murder without premedition, but with malice. Murder without malice (eg, accidental) is manslaughter, involuntary.
Yeah, and it seems the family was very heavily in debt (=stress), and they're making a big deal now out of the fact that the husband was a soldier.

Yeah, and it seems the family was very heavily in debt (=stress), and they're making a big deal now out of the fact that the husband was a soldier.
So he most likely could have snapped and shot her. That's second degree murder (going out of the room, grabbing a gun, and shooting her is first degree)

So he most likely could have snapped and shot her. That's second degree murder (going out of the room, grabbing a gun, and shooting her is first degree)
There has been no talk of guns...just because he was a soldier doesn't mean he was armed.

However, even if he just 'snapped' and killed her (and their unborn child), the amount of effort he went to in order to hide her body and misdirect the police should get him some substantial charges as well.

I really feel horrible for their daughter. She's lost her mom, and is about to lose her dad.

There has been no talk of guns...just because he was a soldier doesn't mean he was armed.

However, even if he just 'snapped' and killed her (and their unborn child), the amount of effort he went to in order to hide her body and misdirect the police should get him some substantial charges as well.

I really feel horrible for their daughter. She's lost her mom, and is about to lose her dad.
Guns were a better example then he charged at her and broke her neck with his hands.

He's also being charged with 'indignity to a body', so he might have mutilated her post-mortem.
When I heard 'indignity to the body' I thought it had something to do with moving her post-mortem. I'm not sure what sort of 'indignation' can be inflicted on a corpse. Perhaps posing her to make it seem like a rape?

(I'm a bit more disturbed than my tone might suggest. I'm doing my best to keep it neutral.)

Guns were a better example then he charged at her and broke her neck with his hands.
How come? That's kind of what I imagine happened...that or some blunt force trauma...I'm sure neighbours would have heard a gunshot.

How come? That's kind of what I imagine happened...that or some blunt force trauma...I'm sure neighbours would have heard a gunshot.

It's more difficult to snap a neck than the entertainment industry would lead you to believe. Gunshots can be muffled (though not silenced), and an uninformed person may well think them to be something else.

How come? That's kind of what I imagine happened...that or some blunt force trauma...I'm sure neighbours would have heard a gunshot.
Well, more from an explanation standpoint. It's difficult to come up with premediated murder that close to the second degree thing as it is with a gun (classic example).

When I heard 'indignity to the body' I thought it had something to do with moving her post-mortem. I'm not sure what sort of 'indignation' can be inflicted on a corpse. Perhaps posing her to make it seem like a rape? That's another thought that crossed my mind. He dumped her in an area where murdered prostitutes have been found before, so it seems to me he was trying to make it look like it might be the seriel killer...and since that killer raped his victims, I thought he might have attempted to make it look like that too.

If he is indeed guilty, a lot of thought and effort went into trying to get away with it.

(I'm a bit more disturbed than my tone might suggest. I'm doing my best to keep it neutral.)
I understand. I was really, really upset when I first heard about this case. I was scared, actually. Now I'm angry.