5-year-old, grandparents disappear from Calgary home

[Huntingwhale]

It takes a true monster to harm a child (or any other human being), so I have no doubt the police will due their due diligence and see if he has been involved in any other missing persons/murder cases. The fact that he returned to the murder scene, how he was allegedly able to harm an innocent child and his past criminal history tells me he knew exactly what he was doing and it wouldn't surprise me if this wasn't the first time. My mind is still blown how someone can bring harm to a 5 year old. I just can't comprehend how someone could look that poor kid in the eyes and do what he is alleged to have done. Heartbreaking. Disgusting. Death is too merciful of a punishment for him.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

It takes a true monster to harm a child (or any other human being), so I have no doubt the police will due their due diligence and see if he has been involved in any other missing persons/murder cases. The fact that he returned to the murder scene, how he was allegedly able to harm an innocent child and his past criminal history tells me he knew exactly what he was doing and it wouldn't surprise me if this wasn't the first time. My mind is still blown how someone can bring harm to a 5 year old. I just can't comprehend how someone could look that poor kid in the eyes and do what he is alleged to have done. Heartbreaking. Disgusting. Death is too merciful of a punishment for him

This guy didn't go to the home thinking "Damn, time to kill some more kids", he went there to kill or hurt the grandpa. And from that, he should now be suspected in other missing persons/murder cases too? What a massive stretch. Again, sucks to hear it this way, but it appears highly likely this was a "no witnesses is better" situation. This guy isn't a serial killer, he's a professional criminal who it appears caught the bad end of a business deal and wanted revenge. The kid unfortunately was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But suspecting him in other cases? Extremely unlikely.

[Galakanokis]

My 5 year old, sitting on the can just now looks up at me and says "it's alright daddy, everything will be OK. If we have love it's all you need." no idea where he got that from but it floored me. I was just reading this thread and after hearing that, can't imagine being those parents (don't even want to imagine) it's to hard.

5 year old child. Nothing but boundless love, energy, curiosity, caring, spirit. All gone.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

This guy didn't go to the home thinking "Damn, time to kill some more kids", he went there to kill or hurt the grandpa. And from that, he should now be suspected in other missing persons/murder cases too? What a massive stretch. Again, sucks to hear it this way, but it appears highly likely this was a "no witnesses is better" situation. This guy isn't a serial killer, he's a professional criminal who it appears caught the bad end of a business deal and wanted revenge. The kid unfortunately was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But suspecting him in other cases? Extremely unlikely.

Oh yah, you're totally right. I'm sure based on his history and the types of things that he's been involved in, this is for sure the first time one of his business dealings went wrong

Suggesting that this guy may have had similar things go on in the past is a total stretch

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

This guy didn't go to the home thinking "Damn, time to kill some more kids", he went there to kill or hurt the grandpa. And from that, he should now be suspected in other missing persons/murder cases too? What a massive stretch. Again, sucks to hear it this way, but it appears highly likely this was a "no witnesses is better" situation. This guy isn't a serial killer, he's a professional criminal who it appears caught the bad end of a business deal and wanted revenge. The kid unfortunately was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But suspecting him in other cases? Extremely unlikely.

I would argue that a person though that can look a kid in the eye and kill him over business or over the whole no witnesses mantra is probably a serious psychopath.

This is different then a serial killer to me, a serial killer is usually broken and has no sense of humanity, there was a great book on the mind of the serial killer that I read, I'll try to find the title and post it here someday.

But serial killers don't see their victims as human, they see them as things, things that cause a feeling of gratification or emotional release when the're killed. Let me put it this way, a serial killer doesn't get upset about his kills, he might act with some remorse, with the whole "please stop me plea" but they don't mean it because they know that they will eventual have to kill again to sooth the compulsion. However if you tell a serial killer that his fish or his dog or his cat died, chances are he'll break down because there's a stronger emotional attachment to that pet as a living thing on a fundamental emotional level.

But to look a kid in the eye and kill him because of a business dealing with his parents and not wanting to get caught so he removed a witness is a whole different level, he's basically put his humanity in a closet over material issues or security issues. In a way he's a even more detached individual, at least a serial killer has a fundamental understanding of the value of his victim. This guy did not.

I've always said that violent acts against children whether violence based or sexual should automatically come with a life sentence at the governments pleasure with no chance for parole period. This person murdered innocence for personal gain, he might not be a serial killer, he might share a lot of fundamental personality disorders of a serial killer, but once you cross that line society shouldn't take anymore chances with you.

[automaton 3]

I am shocked and saddened, and my heart goes out to the O'Brien family. My poor wife keeps reading about this and is having trouble sleeping over it. Just a truly horrific crime. I hope for a swift prosecution and that the bodies are recovered, so that the family can have some measure of closure.

Bad enough the grandparents, but what kind of monster causes such harm to an innocent child. Just hard to wrap your mind around.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

My 5 year old, sitting on the can just now looks up at me and says "it's alright daddy, everything will be OK. If we have love it's all you need." no idea where he got that from but it floored me. I was just reading this thread and after hearing that, can't imagine being those parents (don't even want to imagine) it's to hard.

5 year old child. Nothing but boundless love, energy, curiosity, caring, spirit. All gone.

When the news came on yesterday my son, who is only three, turned to me and said, "they still haven't found that little boy" in the saddest little voice. This whole thing has choked me up on several occasions, but that hit me hard.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Oh yah, you're totally right. I'm sure based on his history and the types of things that he's been involved in, this is for sure the first time one of his business dealings went wrong

Suggesting that this guy may have had similar things go on in the past is a total stretch

And that's what I was trying to get at. While I also believe that it was a case of the child being there at the wrong time, why would it not be logical to see if perhaps he might have committed similar acts (not necessarily against children) on some other open murder cases? In fact I'm sure the police will do their due diligence and see if there might be a connection. No different then a sex offender getting arrested for an offence and trying to see if maybe he matches up against other cases.

[Madman]

Chief Hanson made mention during the press conference that they would be looking at all open cases for any potential connections.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

And that's what I was trying to get at. While I also believe that it was a case of the child being there at the wrong time, why would it not be logical to see if perhaps he might have committed similar acts (not necessarily against children) on some other open murder cases? In fact I'm sure the police will do their due diligence and see if there might be a connection. No different then a sex offender getting arrested for an offence and trying to see if maybe he matches up against other cases.

I see what you're saying, but this appears on the surface to be a unique incident, one with clear ties between the intended victim (the grandfather) and the suspect (his sister is in a common-law relationship with a member of the Liknes family). From what we've heard about the suspect, it's mostly been small time crime, drug offenses, ID theft and fraud and things like that, it doesn't appear to that he has a history of violent crime. I'd be surprised if he's suspected in anything beyond this.

[Resolute 14]

I suspect that doing a once-over on currently open cases to see if any patterns in this one matches another one on file is SOP. It's likely just a matter of due dillegence than any serious expectation that he's killed before.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I see what you're saying, but this appears on the surface to be a unique incident, one with clear ties between the intended victim (the grandfather) and the suspect (his sister is in a common-law relationship with a member of the Liknes family). From what we've heard about the suspect, it's mostly been small time crime, drug offenses, ID theft and fraud and things like that, it doesn't appear to that he has a history of violent crime. I'd be surprised if he's suspected in anything beyond this.

If he is willing to kill relating to a legit business deal, you don't think he'd be able/willing to do it when he was a drug trafficker? I'd wager it is even more likely.

[MuscleOnTheBlvd]

Terrible news/outcome.

The guy previously stole a deceased child's identity which shows a lack of compassion/empathy/remorse to that particular family.

[Northendzone]

struck me as somewhat interesting that some people were wondering why the parents would drop off the child in the middle of the estate sale.....to me the question should be why did the "accused" feel the need to harm the child?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Luder

Speculation at best, but rumors of sour business dealings between the suspect and the Grandfather would be my guess.

Anyone that claims bankruptcy multiple times (3 for the Grandfather I believe) probably has a made a few enemies but it's extremely disappointing to see such a tragedy unfold over money. If anything good can come out of this I would hope that people in their business dealings take more care in screening their business partners. Given Garland's history you could conclude that he may not take well to being on the short end of the stick in a business deal.

[tvp2003]

Sorry if this has already been stated but I hope the bodies are found and that the family can have a small sense of closure in that regard.

Also hope the justice system prevails and that the guilty are found as such.

That's all I have to add

[dissentowner]

I don't hope any bodies are found, despite the evidence or what CPS might know I hold out hope these people are somehow still alive. That might not be realistic but one can hope.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

It takes a true monster to harm a child (or any other human being), so I have no doubt the police will due their due diligence and see if he has been involved in any other missing persons/murder cases. The fact that he returned to the murder scene, how he was allegedly able to harm an innocent child and his past criminal history tells me he knew exactly what he was doing and it wouldn't surprise me if this wasn't the first time. My mind is still blown how someone can bring harm to a 5 year old. I just can't comprehend how someone could look that poor kid in the eyes and do what he is alleged to have done. Heartbreaking. Disgusting. Death is too merciful of a punishment for him.

I totally agree but lets hope they got the right guy, everyone has this guy guilty and flogged already.

I think a step back might be in order until the facts come out.

[underGRADFlame]

Originally Posted by T@T

I totally agree but lets hope they got the right guy, everyone has this guy guilty and flogged already.

I think a step back might be in order until the facts come out.

They got the right guy, trust me.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by T@T

I totally agree but lets hope they got the right guy, everyone has this guy guilty and flogged already.

I think a step back might be in order until the facts come out.

While I agree with "innocent until proven guilty", I don't think that the police would even be able to lay these charges if they didn't have the evidence to make them stick.

Obviously it all has to be proven in court, and that day will come. But I can only assume that these charges didn't come with a shrug and guess - there's just too much at stake. I just really hope that the pile of evidence is so high that he won't be able to see over it.