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December 9, 2017

Ken and Barbie Partners in Crime: Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka

Could you love somebody so much that you would kill for them? Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka did. Since the first time they met, they knew they were meant for each other. Once kindled, their lustful relationship grew into one that led them deeper into sexual experimentation. They both had manipulative personalities, but Paul’s would eventually overpower Karla’s. Their fantasies grew stronger, and then family and friends began dying at the hands of these two, Paul and Karla. They thought they were smart enough to get away with it, but soon enough, all their dreams of an escape came crashing down. Karla was born in Ontario, Canada on May 4, 1970. She was the eldest of three, and grew to be smart, popular, pretty, and well-loved by her friends and family. Karla pursued a job at a veterinary clinic. She adored animals. While at a pet convention in Toronto, she met her prince charming, Paul Bernardo, at just age seventeen. And Paul was twenty-three. The relationship between the two rapidly advanced. They both clicked instantly, sharing pathological desires in their sex life, binding them closer. This led to quirky foreplay, where Paul played the master and Karla the slave.1
Karla and her husband, Paul Bernardo | Courtesy of thestar.com
Paul loved the feeling of dominating women. And Karla was wrapped around so tightly on his finger that she would do anything to please him. Bernardo often complained that when he met her, she was not a virgin. Karla, willing to satisfy Paul’s needs, offered her younger sister Tammy as a sex sacrifice to him because Tammy was still a virgin. Both planned to force Tammy into being a younger and purer version of Karla. To do this, Karla stole an animal anesthetic from her workplace for later use. On December 23, 1990, at a Christmas party at their home, the couple drugged Tammy’s drink with halcyon, and soon took her down into the basement. Karla pulled out the animal anesthetic and drenched a cloth with it to cover Tammy’s mouth, and knock her unconscious. Bernardo raped her, but Tammy unexpectedly began gagging on her own vomit and suddenly died. When her death was officially declared, it was labeled as an accidental death, as the drugs in her body went undetected.2 Paul continued his killings in the Scarborough suburbs of Toronto. He raped women and then murdered them. Some women fortunately escaped with only an attempted rape. No one could pin down who was committing these crimes. So this mysterious figure became known as the Scarborough Rapist. He usually attacked females outdoors, but occasionally he would break into their homes and severely beat them along with strong verbal harassment. Soon, the Metropolitan Toronto Police created an investigation to capture and arrest the Scarborough Rapist. It was only a month later that the Forensic Science Center matched Bernardo’s DNA with the Scarborough Rapist.3
Karla Homolka | Courtesy of murderpedia.org
A search of Bernardo’s home revealed numerous tape recordings of the rapes upon the women. Lots of the tapes showed the women being strangled and killed by Paul by their end. Karla decided to testify against Bernardo, and in return was to be granted a reduced sentence. Karla was interrogated for four days. She blamed Paul for her sister Tammy’s death, and described many of Paul’s kidnappings and rapes that resulted in women’s deaths. Two victims during the reign of the Scarborough Rapist were two schoolgirls Mahaffy and Kristen. Karla accused Paul of committing these crimes, and her accounts were later found to be true by forensic evidence. She said she lived in terror of Paul and was forced by him to partake in his crimes. On February 17, Bernardo was arrested and brought to the Toronto detention center where he awaited trial. At his trial, he was charged with first degree murder, found guilty, and subsequently sentenced to life in prison with possibility of parole in twenty-five years. Karla was sentenced to only twelve years in prison.4
Karla’s bruised face caused by Paul’s abuse | Courtesy of thoughtco.com
Now what did the future hold for these two who eventually turned on each other? As for Paul, he will be eligible for parole in 2018 at the age of fifty. But surprising news has surfaced, Paul is planning to get married while serving his term! Apparently a woman from London, Ontario, who requested to remain anonymous, has been charmed by this “innocent” man. She has said to her friends that Bernardo was just a bystander to the rapes and murders of the two schoolgirls. She was so determined to wed this convicted killer that she tattooed one of her ankles “Paul’s girl.” On the other hand, the woman’s father rejects her plans and says he hopes she will abandon this ill-thought idea. Many other news reporters and even the lawyers who represented Kristen and Mahaffy have all commented on how appalling they found it to be for anyone wanting to wed a man after his horrific crimes.5 As for Karla Homolka, she was released in 2005 after a short twelve year sentence. She thereafter resided in Quebec and married Thierry Bordelais, gave birth to a son, and later had two other children. She was found volunteering at an elementary school in Montreal. Breakfast Television Montreal has confirmed that she often went to the elementary school where her children also attend. Many parents of other children were displeased to see this, and red flags were raised. Parents commented that they did not want her to be on the school’s property and that they believed it wasn’t right for a former serial killer to be around children, especially volunteering. Disturbed parents complained to the school, but they weren’t answered until the Quebec Conference of Seventh-day Adventists sent out a letter. They stated that their priority was to provide quality education to the students and that while they arrange the complaints from the parents, they encourage parents to communicate with the Quebec Conference Office of Education. They also say that they were aware of who Karla is and that it is the law for Canada to conduct background checks on any personnel associated with the school. Karla, tired of the social media, moved away in the year 2007. Nobody heard of her again until a journalist, Paula Todd, came across her in Guadeloupe in 2012.6
  1. Charles Montaldo, “The Crimes of Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo,” ThoughtCo., (May 2017). ↵
  2. Charles Montaldo, “The Crimes of Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo,” ThoughtCo., (May 2017). ↵
  3. Historica Canada: The Canadian Encyclopedia, June 2016, s.v., “Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka Case,” by Edward Butts. ↵
  4. Nick Pron, Lethal Marriage: The Unspeakable Crimes of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka (Canada: McClelland-Bantam Inc., 1995), 9-16. ↵
  5. Irene Ogrodnik, “Convicted killer Paul Bernardo set to marry: report.” Global News, July 4, 2014. Accessed December 6, 2017. ↵
  6. Fazioli, Domenic. “EXCLUSIVE: Karla Homolka occasionally volunteers at Montreal elementary school.” CityNews, May 26, 2017. ↵

Tags from the story

Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka

Scarborough Rapist

Recent Comments

Angelica Padilla

It was expected that this couple would soon turn against each other because of how manipulative the two were, and since they were both caught in hot water they were willing to do anything to get out. But it surprises me a little to hear how people take pleasure from the rape and torture of others, causing them to be killed shortly after getting the pleasure they want or need.

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27/01/2018

11:03 am

Alexandra Cantu

This is the first time I have heard of these serial killers. Their lustful relationship went too far. The fact that she said take my sister as a sacrifice is mad crazy. In no persons right mind would they allow their partner to rape a family member and then murder them. I guess love makes people go blind. Now for Paul it is crazy that a women fell for him after all his crimes. That women is just as blind as Karla!

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27/01/2018

11:03 am

Alyssa Childs

It is unbelievable to me on how a young girl, age 17, can be so blinded on what is good and what is completely wrong. I feel as though Karla was in awe of an older man sharing the same interest as her and was manipulated by “love.” Yes I do believe her sisters death was both her and Paul’s fault because she sacrificed her sisters dignity to pleasure an older man who is mentally ill, her included. The crimes committed were mainly Paul’s fault but Karla had a big input in the tragedies.

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28/01/2018

11:03 am

Yahaira Martinez

Karla was blinded by a young man who wanted nothing more but to take advantage of her and have somebody to satisfy and help fulfill his disturbing ideas and fantasies. I had never heard of these killers at all until this article and was very surprised to hear a story like this that actually did exist. I knew that men tried to take advantage of young women but to hear that it escalated to a point where the own girl allowed her own sister to get murdered was pure evil. Paul had a plan all along and he achieved it and this article managed to capture that in pure detail.

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28/01/2018

11:03 am

Raymond Davila

This article was eye opening. It was the first time i had heard about these serial killer/ rapist before. I don’t usually know a lot about notorious criminals but even if i did i believe that i would still find this one to be one of the most unique. Mostly because of the fact that the women, Karla, was so blinded by love that she even proposed to have her younger sister to be raped, which in turn lead to her death.

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28/01/2018

11:03 am

Christopher Martinez

At of all my years I never heard of this story once, but to learn of it now I’m surprised i never saw it on the news or at least on social media through it resurfacing. Its crazy to know that Karla let Paul do what he did before coming out only when she was offered a shorter sentence if she testified against him. What’s even crazy to me is that a women wants to marry Paul when he gets out even after the crimes he committed and even believes he is innocent as well to the cases he was even found guilty for. As well as he’s eligible for parole after 25 years even after he was proven guilty and shows the colors of the judicial system we have.

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28/01/2018

11:03 am

Edgar Ramon

What in heavens is wrong with these people? How could anyone want to marry a known rapist, and murderer, and how could a school hire someone who killed their own sister? What these two had was not love for each other, but some kind of twisted infatuation. The fair sentence for what Paul and Karla did would have been to lock up Paul for life (he raped and strangled several girls), nevermind death sentence then, but that does not exist in Canada. As for Karla, who assisted in the rape of her own sister, and caused her death, she should at least be locked up for life. 12 years is not enough for someone who would kill.

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30/01/2018

11:03 am

Andrew Dominguez

This article was very shocking how Paul could be guilty of these horrible crimes, and still be granted parole. He destroyed this innocent women lives, yet he looking forward to getting married. Im surprised Karla can live with herself since she is the reason for her sister death, and on top of this she is reponsible for the other victims as well. In my opinion they both should have life in prison, even if she did testify.

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30/01/2018

11:03 am

Johnanthony Hernandez

It’s hard to believe that two individuals who plotted and executed the rapes of murders of multiple women could get two completely different prison sentences. Or that a woman would want to marry a man who is serving time for the rape and murder of women. As well as serving only twelve years such as Karla Homolka did, would be marriend and be allowed to volunteer at an elementary school and only be pushed out after doing it for some time. Interesting to think how people can be manipulated like Karla Homolka was by Paul Bernardo.

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01/02/2018

11:03 am

Nathan Hudson

Someone who is manipulative can be very hard to leave, as they are so intent on having someone to control, but for someone to be manipulated into having their sister raped by their boyfriend is insane. I know Karla was afraid of Paul, but he must have been very persuasive in order for her to do all of these things with him. I’m glad Karla found a life for herself, people are quick to judge, and in the cases where someone is a felon, it makes sense but everyone should be allowed a chance to show that they have changed.

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04/02/2018

11:03 am

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