Verdict

Chapter 27: Moving On

Appendix 1 – Timeline of Events

Appendix 2 – Detective Clark Interview

Appendix 3 - Detective Johnson Interview

Appendix 4 – Media Appearances

Appendix 5 – House of Cards Script

Appendix 6 – SKCONFESSIONS

About the Author

Chapter 1: Surreal

In the spring of 2011, my life was feeling more and more like an out of body experience. I never imagined I would ever be waiting to be interviewed for a primetime television audience, yet that’s just where I found myself in May of that year. About to be interviewed by NBC, my mind drifted back to that night. I couldn’t help but feel as if life and art were colliding again. It was surreal recollecting what happened to me, especially knowing that it would be shown on NBC and seen by countless people around the world. It felt like a dream, or a movie about someone else’s struggle for their life.

As hard as it was to believe, my meeting with NBC was just the first in what would become a year filled with TV interviews. The following day, I was questioned in a local film studio for a joint collaboration between CBS and CBC. A couple of weeks later, I was on a plane to Los Angeles for three more days of interviews with NBC in Universal City. Two months later, I flew to New York City so I could be re-interviewed by CBS.

On the three-year anniversary of the attack, CBS came back to Edmonton to film some follow-up footage with me. As they filmed me playing with my son in a local park, I was filled with emotion knowing he wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t survived the attempt on my life. Then, it was just a few weeks later when the Biography Channel flew me out to L.A. so I could be interviewed. The final taped interview I would give about my testimony was for the Investigations Discovery Channel.

In the fall of 2011 the news specials began to play on TV and although filming the interviews had been strange, watching them back on TV felt much stranger. It felt like I was watching myself watch myself. The first taped interview ran in the fall of 2011 by Dateline. Shortly afterward, The Fifth Estate aired their program about the case called, Murder, He Wrote . Yet another aired the early the next year when 48 Hours Mystery aired their take on everything called, A Screenplay for Murder . That summer the Investigations Discovery Channel featured me on their aptly named program, Dates from Hell: Web of Seduction . In the fall the Biography Channel played an interview of me on, I Survived .

When I was giving my interviews, I retold my story as if it had happened yesterday—in many ways it felt like it did. Flashbacks replayed images I cared not to remember, let alone relive for everyone on primetime television. Recreating it over and over again for each new audience, chills ran down my spine. With my thoughts returning to the attack repeatedly, I began seeing my attacker more often in the following weeks, months, and years. Even on the streets of New York City and Los Angeles, my mind couldn’t help but lead me to believe I was seeing him everywhere. He was following me in cars, in line behind me at the grocery store, standing outside my house at night, and walking past studios and hotels in cities halfway across the country. It was like peering out the side of your shower curtain, expecting to see Norman Bates in your bathroom. I wish my story had been where it had all ended, but there was a different, more gruesome conclusion to it all. There is much more to this story; I was act one, part one, and "the one who got away" according to several media outlets.

Chapter 2: Trial Preparation

If I felt invaded by all the interviews; it was nothing compared to having the police come to take my personal computer. Even worse, they needed to look at communications I had on the dating website, Plenty of Fish. Weeks later, they still hadn't called me back about it. There is nowhere to hide when you are part of a homicide investigation. I was hoping they were done with it but hadn't gotten around to calling me to have me pick it up. Even though I had no idea what's really involved in an investigation like this, I knew that the Homicide Detectives in Edmonton were some of the busiest in the country and I didn’t want to bother them with my trivial concerns about my second computer. After all, Edmonton, Alberta, aka Deadmonton , has one of the highest murder rates in the country.

When Detective Kerr finally called to say I could go in and pick up my computer, he also informed me that I would have to meet with the Crown Prosecutors. He said a date was set for a meeting on in March 2009. Detective Kerr also asked me if I would be willing to give them a blood sample so they could use my DNA to match it to any blood they might find on the mask, or in the garage. Lastly, Detective Kerr also mentioned that I should park in the Edmonton Police Parking lot when I got there so that I didn’t have to pay.

As I was driving to the police station, I realized that I had no idea where their private parking lot was. Not wanting to park in the incorrect place, I decided to pay for parking across the street. It was the same place I had parked the first time I met with the Edmonton Homicide Department. Putting my money in the meter, I remembered the day I gave my taped testimony to Detective Clark on November 3, 2008. It had been the day after I learned about John’s murder. The interview had been intense and had lasted hours, but everyone had been incredibly kind to me. I grabbed the ticket, put it on my dashboard, locked my doors and crossed the street.

Slightly more comfortable this time, I called Detective Kerr to let him know I was in the waiting room, bypassing the front desk. I sat and waited in the exact same chairs I had while waiting for Detective Anstey to bring me to meet Detective Clark. It was only weeks ago but now it seemed like a lifetime away. After waiting for a few minutes, I saw Detective Kerr come through the doors. He thanked me for coming and said he would take me to meet the Crown Prosecutors. We walked to the John E. Brownlee Building, just across the street where we met Avril Ingles and Lawrence Van Dyke in Avril’s sixth floor office. My first impressions were extremely positive, sensing that they were extraordinarily nice people. Avril shook my hand, saying she had watched my police video testimony and was enthralled with my story. She told me I was lucky to be alive, given what I went through. Both she and Lawrence set me at ease, helping me forget where I was and what I was there for, at least for a moment.

I was happy with everything the Prosecutors said, up until Avril told me she would have to release my name in the court documents in order to charge Twitchell for attempted murder. Worriedly, I told her that I wasn’t comfortable with that. I was terrified of the media hassling my family and me. No problem , I was told; Avril would get a publication ban but it would only last until the trial began. Avril assured me that even though the media would know my name, they wouldn’t be able to do anything with it until the ban was lifted. Even though the trial was years away, I was worried about what it would mean for my family. Once my name was released to the public and the rest of the media, everyone would know who I was. I knew there was no such thing as a local story anymore, and I worried what the future would bring. After all, macabre gossip spreads faster than wildfire! However, knowing it was an exercise in futility, I tried my best not to worry about the future.

Avril was kind enough to take the time to explain the law to me, as it related to my case. The law states, Under Canada's assault law, Quoting Criminal Code, Section 268: 268. (1) Every one commits an aggravated assault who wounds, maims, disfigures or endangers the life of the complainant. (2) Everyone who commits an aggravated assault is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.

Section 239. (1) Every person who attempts by any means to commit murder is guilty of an indictable offence and liable (a) if a restricted firearm or prohibited firearm is used in the commission of the offence or if any firearm is used in the commission of the offence and the offence v is committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with, a criminal organization, to imprisonment for life and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of (i) in the case of a first offence, five years, and (ii) in the case of a second or subsequent offence, seven years; (a.1) in any other case where a firearm is used in the commission of the offence, to imprisonment for life and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of four years; and (b) in any other case, to imprisonment for life.

Essentially, even if Twitchell somehow got off on First Degree murder, he would still go to jail for a very long time if charged with my attempted murder.

When I was informed they would be asking to waive the preliminary hearing due to overwhelming evidence for both attempted murder and murder, I was elated. It meant the Crown didn’t feel the need to determine whether there was a case, due to an abundance of evidence. I had been given a subpoena to appear for the hearing in September, so I was really happy to hear I would not have to worry about it! I was extremely relieved to learn I would not have to testify for a long while, and it eased my nerves to learn they seemed to have an airtight case against Twitchell.

Before leaving, Avril reminded me I needed to come back to the police station in the near future to watch my video again. She said I would need to have my video testimony sworn on the Bible, in case I died before the case began. A morbid task, I had to make sure the Crown could use my testimony regardless. Finally, they asked me if I would have trouble getting the time off from work in order to attend the trial, and I assured them it would not be a problem. Avril handed me her business card and told me, If you have any questions at all, call me any time, day or night! Feeling relieved with the entire exchange, I shook their hands and left the office with Detective Kerr.

I walked back to the police station with Detective Kerr, so we could retrieve my desktop computer. After he signed it out of evidence, we proceeded to go to the Edmonton Police Service labs. Once there, I had to sign a document saying I was okay with them taking my DNA. Since I am not a criminal, I have no problems with them taking my DNA and using it however they needed. The lab tech put on latex gloves and pricked my finger with a pin like tool, and then he rolled my finger onto a piece of paper. It was similar to the paper they use when they take fingerprints, but instead of ink, this was with my own blood. A finger print is like a personal signature and according to legend, one pricked their finger and signed their name in blood when one was signing a pact with the devil. Considering they would be using my DNA to see if it matched some of the blood they found, I felt as if I were signing a pact to incarcerate the devil, for twenty-five to life! I watched as my finger pressed the paper, rolling over my blood in a smear of red. Noticing he didn’t have enough blood, the lab technician had to pinprick another finger in order to finish the process and more of my blood was smeared onto the paper. The test complete; I was told to wash my hands in the sink and was given band aids for my tiny wounds.

Finally free to go, I grabbed my computer and walked out of the police station with Detective Kerr. Before saying goodbye he reminded once again that I would need to come back and watch my taped interview so it could be sworn into testimony. Kerr said that they would probably call me back within a week so I could swear that it was nothing but the truth, so help me God . On the drive back home, the entire way those words I had heard so many times rang in my ears, Do you know how lucky you are to be alive?

Surprisingly, it took several months for me to hear back from the police about my interview being sworn into testimony, not a week like Detective Kerr had assumed. It wasn’t until September 2009 that I received a whirlwind of calls from the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) saying they needed me to come in as soon as possible to review my video testimony. After some phone tag, I finally spoke to Detective Dale Johnson, who scheduled a meeting for me to meet with him on September 22, 2009 at 2:00 PM. When the day came, I parked in the Police parking lot, as per Detective Kerr’s directions. I was really becoming more and more comfortable with the idea of coming to the Police station and speaking with Homicide Detectives. Since he didn’t give me his cell phone number, I went straight to the counter and said, I have a meeting with Detective Johnson. After the Officer made the call he gave me a blue and white visitor sticker and I got a seat on one of the waiting room chairs while I put the sticker onto my jacket just above my heart.

After about five minutes, Detective Johnson walked through the doors and shook my hand. Thanking me for coming, he walked me through the main security doors so we could go up the elevator to the third floor. After entering the Homicide Division, he directed me to room Number One. Almost a year ago, I had told the entire story to Detective Clark in that very room. Re-watching the video was like reliving the attack for the hundredth time. After I was finished watching the video, I had to force myself back to the present moment. The last time I was there, I signed my name in blood but this time I had to swear on the Bible. Whether good or evil was to prevail, that was yet to be determined!

It wasn’t until the beginning of March 2011 when a woman by the name of Pat Sharp made several attempts to find me at home. Pat was the Edmonton Police Service witness coordinator and she needed to serve me my subpoena before the trial began, and it was happening soon. The first attempt was made on March 8, 2011. I came home from work and found Pat’s business card attached to my front door. On the back was a message saying I needed to get a hold of her as soon as possible. When I called, we arranged for her to deliver the subpoena to me at 1:00 PM on March 14, 2011—five days later. I would be working until 4:00 AM on that morning, so it was going to be very hard for me to wake up that early, but I also knew this was even more important than sleep!

When Pat handed me the subpoena, I noticed that I was witness number 41 and I would be testifying at 9:30 AM on April 1, 2011. It was only two weeks from then! I was unprepared for the news that I would be taking the stand that soon. Reading the document in full, I noticed the address of the Law Courts Building, the name of the accused, Mark Andrew Twitchell, and the victim, Johnny Altinger. It wasn’t lost on me that my name could have been where John’s was, or even next to his. I held the document in my hands until they were numb, unaware my mind had drifted back to the day and the incident. I put the document away and tried to think of something else.

A few days later, Detective Bill Clark came to visit me at the casino where I worked. A tall, rugged, imposing figure, he shook my hand and asked me how I was doing and when I would be in court. In retrospect, he probably knew when I was testifying; most detectives know the answers to the questions they asked. He was probably making sure I knew and trying to gauge my nervousness. I admitted my nerves were getting the best of me lately and he attempted to ease my concerns. He gave me a few general tips but the most important thing he said was, just relax and tell everybody your story exactly the way you told me back in 2008. He went on to say, your story sent chills down my back during that initial interview and that is exactly what they need to hear in court. At least I wasn’t the only one with chills running down their spine in this case!

When we were done talking about my concerns, Clark told me he had been approached by Dateline NBC. Apparently they and several other news organizations had expressed interest in interviewing me. Detective Clark had been repeatedly asked if I would be interested in doing interviews and asked me if I was interested. Looking back, it may have been another test to see if I would consider violating the publication ban, given all of the media interest. At the time, I merely said, I would consider it after the trial was over and Clark said he would let them know. Detective Clark always made me feel like a friend, ensuring I was comfortable with everything and knowing I would be nervous. After our chat, he offered to drive and walk me to the courthouse on the first day of April and I gratefully accepted his offer.

Three days after Detective Clark came to visit me, I was contacted by Cheryl Gillan, the paralegal working with the Crown Prosecutors. She left me a voicemail saying I had to schedule a date to come in and meet with Avril and Lawrence to watch my Police interviews, yet again. This time it was so I could remember what I said, since I had already sworn it was true. I agreed to be there on March 28, 2011 at 12:45 PM, for a 1:00 PM meeting. The rule of law appeared to be cover your ass, just in case.

Later that same day, I received a call from Victim Services. Lili, the same woman who had tried to get ahold of me two and half years earlier, was now looking for me again. For some reason, I recognized her name and voice, despite all the years that had passed. When she first called, I wasn’t ready to talk to anyone. I had my own way of dealing with things, and I felt I could handle it; I didn’t think talking to anyone about it would help me any more than writing it all down. However, the closer the trial got, the more nervous I became. I started to rethink my need to talk to someone about it all and ended up deciding that it wouldn’t hurt to meet with them now. When I called Lili back she said she was glad to finally get a hold of me. She said they needed to know if I would be interested in coming down and filling out a victim impact statement. I asked her why it was necessary and she explained that the victim impact statements would be read at Twitchell’s trial and could help with the sentencing. That was all I needed to hear! I agreed to write something down and then asked if they could go through the court proceedings with me. I told her I was getting very nervous about testifying and I needed someone to talk to about it. Although Lili agreed, she warned me that since the trial was underway, they could no longer discuss anything specific to the case. Since Lili said she could go over my general concerns, I decided that something was better than nothing. She checked her schedule and the only time she had available to meet with me was the same day in March that I had a meeting with the Crown. I had to work that day until 4:00 AM, my meeting with the Prosecutors was at 1:00 PM, and I agreed to see her at 8:00 PM. It was then or never, since I would be giving my testimony just four days later.

My very busy day on March 28 seemed to come very quickly. I made my way down to the John E. Brownlee building for my 1:00 PM appointment with the Crown. Just I was exiting the elevator I ran into Crown Prosecutor Lawrence Van Dyke. He remembered me immediately, and showed me the way. Avril wanted to speak with me before I reviewed my video, knowing I would be very nervous. Obviously, murder trials can be especially trying on a person. After getting a few mundane but important details out of the way, like where family could sit, what I should wear and how I would get to the courthouse, I was told I needed to review the video to refresh my memory about what I told them back in 2008.

I exited her office and went to talk to Cheryl to review my video. I was shown to an office that was set up with a laptop and external speakers on the desk. She then put in the DVD into the laptop and pressed play. She left the office and closed the door for privacy and I began watching the first interview I had with the Edmonton Police Service. This was the interview that Detective Clark, rugged Homicide Detective, said gave him chills down his spine. I braced myself to watch it for what seemed like the hundredth time since I had watched it in my head ever since.

I had been keeping up to date with everything happening in the trial before and after