As several members
of Ms. Wood’s family looked on, the accused, Christopher Myers, stood in the
prisoner’s docket and answered “guilty” in a firm, clear voice as Judge Monique
Metivier read out the charge of second degree murder. He then repeated the
same word five more times on three unrelated charges of sexual assault and
two for robbery which occured both before and after Ms. Wood was killed.
After the final admission of guilt, Judge Metivier asked Myers if he had
anything to say to the court, to which he merely shook his head “no”.
Following the reading of victim impact statements from Ardeth's parents
Brenden and Catherine Wood and her uncle Father William Ashley, Judge Metivier
sentenced Myers to life in prison without parole for a minimum of 10 years.
With two years already served, he could apply for parole as early as 2016.
“It is clear that you’ve brought tragedy and sorrow of an almost unimaginable
kind to the Wood family,” the judge told Myers. “I hope this plea indicates
some remorse and a potential for rehabilitation.”
Ms. Wood was a 27-year-old PhD student at the University of Waterloo
at the time of her death in August 2003. She was visiting her family
in Orléans when she decided to go out for an afternoon bike ride.
She never returned home. Her disappearance sparked one of the largest
search efforts in the city’s history.
Her body was found four days partially covered with debris near the northern
end of Green’s Creek, not far from the bike path that runs along the Rockcliffe
Park.
Within hours the largest search effort in the city’s history turned into
the largest manhunt in the city’s history as investigators tried to find
information that would lead them to the killer.
As the investigation progressed they found several witnesses who claimed
to have been approached by a man on the bike path in the same general time
frame that Ms. Wood was murdered. As a result of that information the authorities
produced a composite sketch of the suspect, but it wasn’t until more than
two years later that Myers was arrested after a Sudbury police officer matched
the sketch with a man under investigation for a sexual assault in that city.
Myers was immediately charged with first degree murder and almost as quickly
offered a plea bargain on the lesser charge of second degree murder. According
to the Crown Attorney Hilary McCormack and investigators who were assigned
to the case, there was no DNA evidence at the crime scene to definitively
link Myers to the murder. Due to the combination of heat and humidity any
potential forensic evidence was in a state of advanced degradation.
Myers initially turned down the plea bargain, but in the weeks and months
that followed he admitted to being with her and he led investigators to
the site of the crime scene although he never admitted to actually killing
her. It wasn’t until last Friday, that his lawyer Bruce Engel informed the
Crown Attorney’s office that Myers was willing to plead guilty on the lesser
charge after all.
“I think he just wanted to get this over and done with and move on,” Engel
told reporters outside the courthouse.
The turn of events was not so much met by relief on the part of the Wood
family as it was by solemn resignation. With Myers’ plea, they were spared
having to endure the emotional strain the proceedings would have exacted
upon them.
In an exclusive interview at the family home Tuesday night, Ardeth’s father
Brenden simply said that it was, what it was.
“Over the years I’ve had enough dealings with the court system to know
that’s the way it is. It’s the system of law. It’s not the justice system,”
said Wood.
The past four and half years have been a incredibly difficult for the Wood
family, especially Ardeth’s mother Catherine who sat through the pre-trial
during which the Crown laid out their case against Myers including a great
deal of evidence.
“It’s been very difficult for her. She brings it up all the time and wants
to talk about it and I’d rather not,” said Brenden who stayed away from
the court proceedings until Tuesday. “At least now she doesn’t have to go
through weeks and weeks of testimony and then a possible appeal. It could
have gone on for years. It’s over now I guess.”
Ardeth’s brother Colum says the tragedy has effected his parents in different
ways.
“My dad has always been a quiet guy, but he’s even quieter now. My mom
is a changed person. She’s sad most of the time. It’s always in her mind,”
says Colum who is hoping the arrival of a baby girl later this year and
his brother’s pending wedding will help bring some much needed happiness
back into his mother’s life. “She needs some happiness. When I showed her
the picture of the ultrasound she clutched it to her chest.”
As she read her victim impact statement
to the court, Catherine Wood spoke of her daughter's devotion to her faith
and God, and for the importance she placed on chastity, generosity and humility.
"Over the years Ardeth would sometimes return from classes marveling
at the inability of most of her contemporaries to understand a life actuated
by motives other than the desire for wealth, power, sex and fame,"
said Catherine.
"A beautiful, unique unrepeatable life has passed from our midst but
its influence for the better remains upon those who knew and loved her.
Now I await with longing the day on which our souls will meet. I will enfold
her in my arms as I did so many times at the train station never more to
be separated."
Ardeth's uncle Father William Ashley wrote in his impact
statement that Ardeth died in defence of her virginity.
"We are well aware that there are many who would say just give in
and get it over with. There is no way that Ardeth would have seen this as
a legitimate alternative, and therefore she chose the high road of sacrifice
to the point of death," wrote Father Ashley.
He went on to suggest that his niece should be considered by the Catholic
church for canonization and beafication in light of the circumstances surrounding
her death and statements made by individuals who claimed that they experienced
miracles through Ardeth's intercession.
"Canada
and the world at large have need of such a heroic example of chastity and
virginity of life for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Of course, we would
abide by the church's decision in that regard."
In his victim impact statement, Brenden
Wood wrote about the immense feeling of grief and loss that often comes
over him without warning
Brenden,
Crispin and Katherine Wood stand behind a photograph of Ardeth
Wood in a picture taken shortly after Chris Myers was arrested
in October 2005. Myers pleaded guilty to second degree murder
in Ontario Superior Court on Tuesday. File photo 
