On this day, Sept. 1, in 1995, Paul Bernardo was convicted of raping and killing young girls in Canada with his wife, Karla Homolka, aka the “Barbie and Ken Killers.”
When the two met, Bernardo had already raped a series of girls. The killings began in 1990 when the couple drugged Homolka’s 15-year-old sister, Tammy, and taped themselves raping her. Tammy choked on her own vomit and died, but the death was ruled accidental.
Six months later, Bernardo brought home a 14-year-old girl and raped and strangled her, put her body in cement and dumped her in a nearby lake. The girl’s body resurfaced the same day Bernardo and Homolka were married.
A year later, the couple abducted a 15-year-old girl and videotaped themselves sexually molesting her before killing her and discarding the body.
DNA evidence led police to Bernardo. Homolka cut a plea deal and police found the tapes. He was sentenced to life. She served 12 years and was released.
— Scott McCabe
