Ontario Community Newspapers

Whitby Free Press, 16 Nov 1983, p. 1

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~' Vol 13 No. 46,Wednesday, November 16, 1983 20 Pages Murd er- Suieid e a Startling Case Lest We Forget Remem brance Day... a lime ta pay our respect tao the young warriors who died f or ourfreedom. This day of remembrance representsa deep bond of memory among the veterans from, the Firsi and Second World Wars, when they gather ta pay 1t1ribute ta comrades wýho- diedfightingfor their coun£ry. But the few moments will neyer be enough ta replace the missing lives. No one can justify such a wvaste of human ife, the mass suffering and the emotional, struggles thai are the resuits of war. A Whitby, residerj rnmurdered his wife witi an axe in thie r Hylanc Ave. townhouse twi days before hanginî himself, Durham PolicE confirmed Monday.. "The place look ed likE an abattoir," commen- ted 'Detective .Peter Holley. 1"There was î blood in every room of the house, but one. " Police found the body of Charle s McLaughlin, 1 45 and his wife Henrica, 44, after receiving a cal from ,a worried relative Sunday .afternoon. Police went to- in- vestigate and through aý window saw, Mr. McLaughlin hanging by his neck from the stair- well. Police- found that Mr. McLaughlin had hung. himself with an electrical cord. An ,autopsy- later-- revealed -that Mrs., McLaughlin who« received massive blows t'ô the ha with theý bluint end of an axe, died apprôximateîy 'Wed-. nesëday. In- that time, Mr. McLaughlin. remained in the house for, two days before hanging himself. The attack was believed to have started in the bedroom a s'Mrs. McLaughlin was found in her night clothes. Police are guessing that >there was a pursuit, as' there was so much blood in , the house. MeLaughlin also, had several knife wounds. It has not yet beendeter- mined' whether the t wounds were self inflic- h ted, but none of- them d were fatal. 0 'Police found 9 McLaughlin's blood- e stained pajanias and another set of blood- B stained clothes, and are r speculating that he later i showered, changed his r clothes, ate and slept in his bed. No one saw hini l.eave the house during his two day stay. Police are still trying to piece together what happened during- the tume he was there. No evidence was noted that McLaughlin went on a rampage after the murder. Charles McLaughlin, an - engineering technician and project co-ordinator with the Durhami Region and his wife Henrica, a music teacher, --moved - into their 803 Ilyland Ave. residence about four months ago. The -McLaughlins lived on Gadsby Drive also in Whitby for about five Years. Neighbours. were shocked at, the incident and commented that both were such a frien- dly, qwite couple. Famnily was also ap- palled by the tragedy. There was no indication of depression or family problems between the couple. Both were con- sidered as very respon- sible people. Police are in- vestigating. whether there was alcohol con- tent at the time of the murder.- Canadian AuthoraBgBi Students from Colonel J.E. Farewell Publi'c School are en- thralledi by Canadian author Dennîs Lee, as he meiles his poetry.' The sohool was chosen as one of the two schools ln Ontarlo to promotle the authors newbooki Je1IY âel ly and GarbageDeltîght.

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