Hamilton-area cases of intimate-partner homicides match national patterns

WARNING: This story contains graphic details of violence. 

More than 10 cases from the Hamilton area were part of the nearly 400 instances of intimate-partner homicides that CBC looked at in a lengthy investigation released Monday.

Researchers compiled 392 cases from across Canada that occurred between Jan. 1, 2015, and June 30, 2020, where charges were or could have been laid. 

CBC's 16-month investigation, Deadly Relationships, resulted in several key findings. Many of the themes that emerged are reflected in local cases. Here's a look at some of those and how they compare to CBC's research:

The abuse factor

Victim: John Allan Liggins, 44
Accused: Tara Lynn Koiter, 32 
Relationship: Spouse
Location: Brantford
Date: Feb. 6, 2016

Media reports in the Brantford Expositor described the couple's relationship as "sometimes violent," stating that a friend testified in court that Liggins didn't allow Koiter to have a driver's licence, bank account or to spend money. They had been drinking and got into a fight; Koiter had disclosed she thought she was pregnant. She told police Liggins choked her until she was unconscious, then she stabbed him after she regained consciousness. The court heard from an expert who said Koiter appeared to be a victim of abuse. 

Koiter pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to three-and-a-half years, which was time she had already served.

How it's linked: CBC's investigation found that one in four women who killed their partners were abused by their partners.

Ages of victims

Victim: Natasha Thompson, 36
Accused: Mark Champagne, 45
Relationship: Girlfriend
Location: Hamilton
Date: Nov. 6, 2017

Neighbours say they heard Thompson and Champagne arguing outside their unit before Thompson was shot 10 times, including three times in the head from less than a metre away. Thompson's adult daughter testified at the trial that the couple had argued on several occasions, and that just before the shooting, Thompson had told Champagne she'd like him to leave for good and she planned to have an abortion. The last thing she says she heard her mom say was, "'Are you threatening me?'"

Champagne was found guilty of second-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence. He had previously been convicted of attempted murder, in 1998.

How it's linked: A recent separation was the most common warning sign CBC found in its investigation. It also found that Canadians between ages 20 and 40 are over-represented among victims of intimate-partner homicide, making up 41 per cent of victims. By comparison, that age group represents 27 per cent of the population. 

Indigenous victims over-represented

Victim: Renee Neganiwina, 26
Accused: Joseph Snelgrove, 37
Relationship: Girlfriend
Location: Hamilton
Date: March 25, 2015

Neganiwina died after Snelgrove, angry, doused a couch with flammable liquid and lit it on fire. He claims he didn't intend to kill her and did not know she had taken sleeping pills and alcohol, so wouldn't hear the smoke alarm. 

He was originally charged with second-degree murder, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He was sentenced to 12 years.

How it's linked: Neganiwina was Indigenous. CBC's reporting found that Indigenous women are over-represented among women who are victims, at 18 per cent. The true number is likely higher due to gaps in the data. Meanwhile, Indigenous people make up only six per cent of the Canadian population. 

Warning signs

Victim: Marilyn Mitton, 65
Accused: Wayne Bell, 66
Relationship: Former girlfriend
Location: Hamilton
Date: July 31, 2016

Mitton was found in a bathtub that had been filled with bleach and water. She had seven stab wounds and her apartment had been deliberately set on fire.

Bell was found guilty of first-degree murder and arson. 

How it's linked: Like the Thompson case, above, this case also underscores the finding that a recent separation was the most common warning sign CBC found in its investigation. The pair had previously been in a relationship. Bell told police Mitton had revealed she'd had an affair.

With regards to warning signs, CBC's investigation also found:

• More than one in three accused exhibited at least one warning sign prior to the murder they committed;
• Nearly all of the accused that demonstrated warning signs were men (97 per cent); and
• The most common warning signs across all accused were recent separations (more than 1 in 5), coercive control (15 per cent) and previous reports to police (15 per cent). 

Support is available for anyone affected by intimate-partner violence. You can access support services and local resources in Canada by visiting this website. If your situation is urgent, please contact emergency services in your area. The Interval House Hamilton 24-hour crisis line is: 905-387-8881.