Posts Tagged ‘Murder’
*UPDATE: The following isn’t exactly true in the blanket categorization of “Most Dangerous” as revealed by Brian, read on to the comments to find out more information. Furthermore, there was murders that happened in 2009 within Medicine Hat.*
National Media Magazine, MacLeans, has ranked Medicine Hat number 3 in there new rankings for Canada’s most dangerous cities with 159.96% above the national average.
In it’s latest results released Friday, Medicine Hat sits under Abbotsford, BC, and Thunder Bay, ON. But there is still a catch, they based all they’re information on 1.8 murders per 100 000 people for 2009.
Someone with the alias “Trevor in the Hat” posted this comment about it, as he has done the math:
The city I live in, Medicine Hat AB is listed as the third highest for murder. Now my math is horrible but let’s see if I can roughly figure this out. We are listed as having 159.96% compared to the national average of 1.8 murders per 100,000 people. That makes us at about 2.88 per 100,000 people. The official census for Medicine Hat in 2009 was 61,000 people, once again using my horrible math skills this works out to about 2 murders in 2009 and yet we are listed as more dangerous than Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver etc which have a dozen or more murders per year?
Trevor is completely correct, no murders occurred in Medicine Hat in 2009, so how can we be approximately 144% above Calgary for example?
They’re is a huge tie for the least dangerous city in Canada, with one of those 31 that have tied being St. Albert. Lethbridge sits in 49th place with a -39.16% difference.
*Updated June 2nd, 2009*
In a seemingly recent string of local crime and tragedy, a man has been found murdered and another seriously injured last night at 11PM. The police were called to the scene, 515E Washington Avenue SE, where they found the adult male dead inside the residence and the injured male outside on the sidewalk. I’m not posting this as an effort to post what has already be written, but to comment on it and the nature of the killing. It has since been released that the man killed was Darcy Baumbach, 47 by Michael Steinkey, 37 who was charged with second degree murder and is scheduled for court on June 4th. The other injured man’s name is not being released at this time.
Correct me If I am wrong, but this is the first homicide in Medicine Hat, since March, 2007 when James Driscoll was suspected to be murdered; however, it was never concluded that indeed he was, but is still be considered “suspicious”. And then, since the April, 2006 Richardson family murders. Seemingly, as stated, there seems to be a recent string of crime and tragedy in the or around the Hat as of late. House fire and death, theft from a previous house fire, recent Brooks murder, Brooks taser death, Bow Island car crash claiming five lives, accidental death from a fall, Fritzke back in custody after having access to internet-enabled phone (or the whole Fritzke thing in general), tons of drug growing and related charges/arrests in Redcliff and in Medicine Hat. That’s just in the last couple months. Maybe it’s just because I am becoming more aware of the news and local happenings that I didn’t notice before, but I heard other comments that this city (in jest) is becoming “Gotham City”.
Police are asking anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers or 403-529-8481.
Medicine Hat Police Service – James Driscoll media release page
Medicine Hat News Articles
Murder called a senseless act
Murder charge laid
Michael Steinkey charged with murder
First murder of the year
A fairly complete and concise history of the Richardson Family Murders and Jeremy Steinke Trial.
Every source online or in the media says they cannot name the Richardson daughter because she is under the age for being tried as an adult for the crimes she committed. But if you Google “Richardson Family Murder”, the Wikipedia article, and every source or media reference gives the history as: “Richardson family was killed by their daughter and/or Jeremy Steinke.” As a result, in this article, we will abide by The Law and not give her name, instead, we will just call her “Richardson”, because that much has already been said everywhere else in the media.
Jeremy Steinke and his girlfriend apparently met one day in early 2006. Sources vary as to the location of their meeting, going between a local Punk Rock show in Medicine Hat and on the social networking website Nexopia. At any rate. As Jeremy Steinke was 23 years old at the time, and his girlfriend was 12, her parents – Marc and Debra Richardson – naturally wished the two not to date; however, Richardson continued to see Steinke. At length, her parents forbid her from seeing him entirely. During the ordeal, the couple maintained contact through various social networking websites on the Internet. Nexopia, Vampirefreaks and Bolt seem to be the main three.
Jeremy Steinke. Image courtesy of Canada.com
On Vampirefreaks, Jeremy Steinke listed several personal interests that many people in the Western World have. BMXing, skateboarding, snowboarding, cars, music, piercings, tattoos. But as the list goes down, the interests get a little more (socially perceived) dark and name such interests as scarification, pain, “kinky fetishes”, blood, razorblades, Lycan’s and his girlfriend. In his profile on Bolt, Steinke describes himself as “A Gothic individual who believes in blood, destruction, guts, gore and greed. Am I God’s champion or Satan’s angel?” Apparently, he would often comment to his friends how he was a 300 year old werewolf.
Perceivably, these traits, coupled with photographs of him wearing dark clothes and eyeliner, and having a shaved head, lead many people – as I have heard discussed – to comment on how “weird” and “freaky” he is. The truth is that no matter how “bad” a person might appear, they might be the nicest person ever. I have been to quite a few Punk Rock shows, and there are numerous people who “look” dangerous or threatening, but when you talk to them, they seem quite intellectual, or even so nice as to help you up if you get knocked down while dancing. But the 300 year old werewolf thing is kind of weird. All-in-all, his interests, style of dress, and falsified comments regarding himself were probably, in part, an attempt by him to appear to be part of certain scenes (music scenes, trends, etc.) and getting people to pay attention to him. At any rate, in an interview his Mother said he was a very nice young man. Mother’s are always right, as mine always says.