So Much For Fellowship & Peace Towards Men

[vonVeezelsnider]

Family members of a kindly Kitchener, Ont. senior say their lives have been ruined after he was beaten to death while delivering Christmas cards to neighbours.

Police are now hunting for a suspect after Hunter Brown, 74, was fatally attacked in his next-door neighbour's driveway over the weekend.

"He was just a real gentleman," said the victim's son, Mike Brown. "If you think of an old-fashioned gentleman, that was my dad."

The victim's daughter, Sandra Brown, said the family was devastated and had strong words for her father's killer.

"It was uncalled for. He didn't deserve it and nothing will bring him back," she said. "You've really ruined our lives in many ways."

Brown and his wife had lived in their Kitchener home for 34 years, and he retired after a career with Bell Canada. The couple had two children and three grandchildren.

Relatives said Christmas was one of his favourite times of year, and he would often dress as Santa to surprise the children of family and friends.

"He was such a kind, caring, gentle man," said Mike Brown. "He didn't deserve to go that way."

Police were called to the scene on Saturday afternoon. They came upon a bleeding, badly beaten Brown, who later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

"It is a very tragic story; it was a vicious assault," Waterloo Regional Police spokesman Olaf Heinzel said Monday.

"It's very disturbing for our community."

Police couldn't say for certain if Brown was targeted or a victim of a random attack, but believe he was killed with an "edged weapon." Officials are still waiting for autopsy results.

There is an unidentified suspect, described as a white male of average build who was wearing a black, trenchcoat-like jacket and a black tuque with red lines.

Police are out canvassing homes and businesses around the scene, hoping to find a witness who can help them, Heinzel said.

"Our focus right now is trying to find out what happened," he said. "We are focused on trying to identify a possible suspect."

Police have cordoned off a section of the street where Brown died.

Neighbours couldn't believe anyone would attack Brown, who was active in his church and wider community.

Brown is the eighth homicide victim in the Waterloo region this year.

[daves87rs]

Wow, that is just stupid....why?

Why would someone do something like that?

[Intrepidation]

Sick f@#k, I hope he gets run over by a plow and his skull crushed by it slowly.

Edited December 20, 2007 by Dodgefan

[mustang84]

The sad thing is that these types of stories are becoming more common with each passing day. Thirteen year olds beating homeless old guys to death with metal pipes, little kids bringing guns into Kindergarten, psycho 19-year olds shooting up malls during the Christmas rush, people stepping over a dying beating victim in the doorway of convenience store, stealing his groceries, and taking pictures of him with their cell phones...society is so messed up these days that it's truly sickening.

[vonVeezelsnider]

Looks Like They Got Him Already... And he's been charged in the First Degree which indicates to me that he planned to get this specific guy. At least he's off the streets.

Trevor James Lapierre, 22, appeared in provincial court in Kitchener, Ont., Wednesday morning charged with first-degree murder following the death of a grandfather who was killed while delivering Christmas cards.

Mr. Lapierre was arrested in a taxi Tuesday afternoon, just hours after police warned the public to be on the lookout for a suspect who may have been stalking the suburban neighbourhood in Kitchener where Hugh Hunter Brown was attacked and killed on Saturday afternoon.

Mr. Lapierre was also charged last night with assault after a second man was attacked Monday while he shovelled snow in his driveway. The second attack took place just blocks from the house where Mr. Brown had lived with his wife for nearly 30 years.

Mr. Lapierre was identified through canvassing the neighbourhood where both attacks occurred.

"He [Lapierre]is linked to an address on Prospect Ave. in Kitchener. Police are executing a search warrant at that address today as part of their investigation," said police spokesman Olaf Heinzel.

Lapierre will remain in police custody until his next court appearance Jan. 9. Police said in a statement Wednesday they do not anticipate any further arrests.

Mr. Brown was left beaten and bleeding on a neighbour's driveway after being attacked while delivering Christmas cards to his neighbours, a tradition he had been keeping for more than 20 years since retiring from Bell Canada in 1986.

A man in his 20s, believed to be the assailant, was seen fleeing the area on foot.

Three days later, a man fitting the description of Mr. Brown's killer launched an unprovoked attack on a man shovelling his driveway in the same quiet south-end suburb, said Staff Sergeant Adrian Darmon, of Waterloo Region Police. The second attack took place only two blocks away from the street where Mr. Brown was killed.

"He was approached by a man who made some references to God, one of them a negative reference to God ... before assaulting the victim," said Staff Sgt. Darmon. "He was able to fend the man off -- he had a snow shovel in his hands, which helped."

After a neighbour came out to help and the two men confronted the attacker, he fled on foot. The assailant did not use a weapon.

"The description of the suspect and the location of these incidents is obviously cause for concern," said Staff Sgt. Darmon. "We're certainly concerned about the level of violence in these two incidents and the potential for further violence ... nobody should be approaching anyone who they believe matches this description."

Police said Mr. Brown died of multiple wounds to his head and face from "an edged weapon," but would not give details of what kind of weapon was used.

They issued a sketch of the man seen fleeing after the attack, described as being in his 20s, unshaven, with long dark hair, a black toque, and a long black overcoat.

The suspect in Monday's attack was described as being 15 to 18 years old, with shoulder-length black hair, unshaven, wearing a black toque and black hip-length jacket with black pants and boots and a black knapsack.

Extra officers and patrol cars have been assigned to the neighbourhood where the two attacks took place and are asking anyone with information on the case to call a special tip line.

Residents of the neighbourhood say they are not panicking at the possibility of a lunatic roaming their streets, but most are still saddened and angry at the death of Mr. Brown, a popular fixture in the area.

Michael Engelmann, who lives just down the street from the Browns' home, said he believes his neighbourhood is still safe. "I'm sure people are scared but I don't think that's the main sentiment," he said. "It's very unfortunate that this happened but I'm not going to say that the neighbours are particularly scared. I think everybody's very sad at what happened to this point."

Mr. Brown's killing has shocked the community, and neighbours and friends alike say he had no enemies.

"He was my best friend," his wife, Beverley Brown said through tears, Monday evening.

"What happened to him he didn't deserve," her son Michael added. "That's the thing that really hurts."

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

The sad thing is that these types of stories are becoming more common with each passing day. Thirteen year olds beating homeless old guys to death with metal pipes, little kids bringing guns into Kindergarten, psycho 19-year olds shooting up malls during the Christmas rush, people stepping over a dying beating victim in the doorway of convenience store, stealing his groceries, and taking pictures of him with their cell phones...society is so messed up these days that it's truly sickening.

I agree...

This year seems to have been a big turning point. It seems that these stories are very common now, almost as though it is sport. That's why it's time for me to get my conceal and carry. :AH-HA_wink:

It's very sad.... But I'm sure it'll only get worse. I guess all those years of desensitization are finally taking effect. Violent crime had been trending down until last year, but then thanks to the lack of opportunity, drug use and the media hysteria it started trending back up.

My question is; why didn't anyone help this guy? I would definitely help someone if they were being beaten to death. In fact, I'd love to see some asshole like that try to attack me. Too bad cowards like this never attack the strong.

Edited December 20, 2007 by FUTURE_OF_GM

[Intrepidation]

Hope the asshole gets the death penalty.

[daves87rs]

At least they got him...

[CARBIZ]

Crazies have always been amongst us, it's just now that that satellites and the internet allow their heinous acts to be flashed around the world. One hundred years ago, only the locals would have known or cared about incidents like this.

Perhaps wacked people with pent-up aggressions don't have 'normal' outlets for their rage any more, like the military or cutting off the heads of chickens at the farm. 'Fight or Flight' is no longer an option for most modern people.

[vonVeezelsnider]

Hope the asshole gets the death penalty.

No death penalty in Canada unfortunately.

[G_Man72]

No death penalty in Canada unfortunately.

Let's hope that there's some "prison justice" then.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

No death penalty in Canada unfortunately.

Gasp!... What a surprise!

[CARBIZ]

Gasp!... What a surprise!

........... yet, strangely our murder and crime rates are a fraction of those South of the border

[toesuf94]

........... yet, strangely our murder and crime rates are a fraction of those South of the border

Bullets, booze and all of the other ingredients for murder are taxed to death up there! Besides, you only have good weather for killing like a quarter of the time that we do.

This story did sicken me. I hope there is justice to that bastard. Nobody deserves to die like that - ever. My heart goes out to that family.

[frogger]

No death penalty in Canada unfortunately.

No prison terms for having consensual oral sex with highschool schoolmates either, and its quite a bit harder to win big $$ suing people for trivial things here. Its amazing we don't have anarchy.

Edited December 21, 2007 by frogger

[vonVeezelsnider]

The Plot Thickens...

TORONTO - A writer using a name similar to the suspect in the killing of a 74-year-old man who was out delivering Christmas cards describes himself in an online posting as an eccentric artist with a "taste for the darkness" and professes a love of Satan, drugs and sado-masochistic sex.

In a bio written under the screen name LocustVision on the website purerave.com - an online community for ravers and partygoers - the user identifies himself as Trevor La Pierre, a 22-year-old from Kitchener.

Police in Kitchener, Ont., have charged Trevor Lapierre, 22, with first-degree murder in the death of Hunter Brown, who was killed Saturday as he delivered his traditional annual holiday greetings to neighbours.

"I am in love with Satan!" the online profile reads.

"I am new to sado-masochism but ever since I have partook my regular sexual fantasies died. Now I crave the unspeakable."

The writer goes on to list interests such as "drugs of intelligence," "shaved pale skin," zombies, bisexuality and "unique body modifications."

"Hedonism is my general scheme. Yours should be the same or you are mistaken."

The writer also lists more mundane interests such as cooking, cigarettes and Nintendo.

The Waterloo Region Record reported that a separate online journal listed as belonging to a Trevor Lapierre was filled with dark, misanthropic ramblings and spoke of the writer's internal battle to control his rage.

In one of his last postings in July, he talked about his hatred for the world.

"Take me as far away from Earth as possible ... I have given up on my fellow man."

Lapierre was arrested Tuesday as his father was rushing him in a taxi to a psychiatric ward.

Paul Lapierre said his son has been struggling with an undiagnosed mental illness.

Outside court, the elder Lapierre described his son as "off the wall."

"I realized the severity of the situation," he said. "He'd been using insane language and acting like he was a victim of everything."

In the past 18 months, his son has been hospitalized four times, and was most recently released just five or six weeks ago, he added.

Trevor Lapierre is also charged in another attack in Kitchener on Monday on a man shovelling his driveway. The man wasn't hurt, but the assailant is said to have made negative remarks about God.

Lapierre appeared in court briefly Wednesday to face the first-degree murder charge before being remanded in custody until Jan. 9.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Boo-Hoo...

I got pissed off at the world and gave up on my fellow man a LONG time ago, but that doesn't give me the right to go kill an innocent and helpless person.

I hope this guy burns. He deserves much worse than he'll get. But at least he didn't 'off' himself like that worthless coward at VT or the coward that shot up the mall. At least we can make this guy suffer a bit.

Edited December 21, 2007 by FUTURE_OF_GM

[A Horse With No Name]

Sick f@#k, I hope he gets run over by a plow and his skull crushed by it slowly.

Ditto...

Chris

[mustang84]

I hope this guy burns. He deserves much worse than he'll get. But at least he didn't 'off' himself like that worthless coward at VT or the coward that shot up the mall. At least we can make this guy suffer a bit.

I feel the exact same way about these types of people. Cowardly is the perfect description...they can't handle life so they do harm to others, usually the ones that are most innocent and least likely to be able to defend themselves, whether it's a senior citizen or a helpless dog. They act like they're tough guys with a gun, but they are nothing but weak little cowards. The mall shooting hit close to home for me because one of my mom's co-workers was in the store 10 minutes before it happened and left only because she couldn't find the funeral dress she was looking for. I can't imagine what would have happened to her if she had stayed.

Even though I'm against violence in general, an eye for an eye is the way I feel some of these sickos should be treated...they deserve nothing less.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Even though I'm against violence in general, an eye for an eye is the way I feel some of these sickos should be treated...they deserve nothing less.

I agree... I'm very kind hearted and I'm not even sure if I agree with the death penalty. But the absolute burning hatred I feel for people who PREY ON THE INNOCENT AND DEFENSELESS overrides my kind hearted nature.

I think, for people like this, it should be an eye for an eye. He killed an old man by beating him with a sharp object. As such, he should be dispatched in the same manner.

[76ChevyTrucker]

I've got an idea, how about we beat the $h! out of him and leave him in someone's driveway. See how the $h!head likes it.