Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Kindergarten Con: Serial killer volunteers at school!

Episode Date: June 1, 2017

Parents at a private school just realized that a woman volunteering at a private school is a notorious serial killer. Karla Homolko plea deal gave her just 12 years in prison in exchange for testimony against her husband. She changed her name and started a new family after her 2005 release. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke discuss the outrage that followed the revelation that she is now participating in show-and-tell and chaperoning field trips at her kid’s school. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. For the last two years, Carla Homolka has lived in this cozy cottage. We're told she's a stay-at-home mom with three children. A new life for the convicted schoolgirl killer. We don't want her there. Along with her then-husband, Paul Bernardo, she played a role in the sex killings of two schoolgirls and her 15-year-old sister. Since September, Homolka has been a regular fixture at Greaves Adventist Academy.

These moms and dads want Homolka to stay far away from the school. She's not supposed to be there. Why is she allowed to be in the school? She was a sex offender. I was a sex offender. Carla, can I ask you a question? Do you volunteer or work at the school? Who are you? You know who I am.

No, I don't know who you are. Who are you? I'm a news reporter. Well, good for you. Did everybody see the movie, I think it was called Monster, with Charlize Theron, and she was a serial killer? Female serial killers are extremely rare. And today, it is proved that women are treated differently than men because a serial killer, a female serial killer who is implicated in the rape and murders of three teen girls, including her own sister, has been volunteering at the teen schoolgirl's school. Yeah, she's out of jail and is volunteering at the victim's schools.

I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories and the case of Carla Homolka proves fact is stranger than fiction. I will never forget the case of Carla Homolka. She is a killer who was jailed for the brutal rapes and murders of three little girls that we know of, including her own sister. She has gotten out of jail in just 12 years, actually less than 12 years, and has been spotted volunteering at the elementary school. She served about 12 years after the conviction on the rapes and tortures of Kristen French, Leslie Mahaffey. She did this along with her then-husband, Paul Bernardo.

Now, this is what they would do. They would go trolling in the car for victims. They would get a little girl in the car, torture her with curling irons, hot curling irons, all sorts of torture, rape them, and kill them. And she got some kind of a crazy thrill out of doing this along with her freaky husband. It's just, ugh. Now, this killer, female rapist, volunteers at a private Christian school where now her children are enrolled.

I mean, it's more than I can even take in. I wonder if the moms and dads know who she is. I mean, the convicted killer recently supervised a group of kindergarten students during a field trip. And was invited in to show the children how to knit, according to reports. I just keep looking at the photos of the three victims that we know of, schoolgirls Kristen French, Leslie Mahaffey, and her own 15-year-old sister, Tammy. This is a Seventh-day Adventist church where she is volunteering in the school, and they say they're fully aware of her history. Okay, with me right now is Alan Duke on the story. I mean, Alan, I don't think anyone will ever forget, especially crime sleuths and crime aficionados, will forget the case of Carla Homolka.

Awful. Awful. Carla, it wasn't her who did the rape and murders. She was with her husband who had abused her. That's what the court record shows, that she was an unwilling accomplice. She got 12 years in prison. Three times. Three times. She was unwilling three times.

What did you say to me the other day behind every bad woman is an even worse man? Yes, but I didn't say either of them should not go to jail or get the death penalty. I don't go along with... She's been psychologically tested, and she is not a psychopath, according to all of the psychological testing that she's done. Yeah, she's just a stone cold killer. That's what she is. She was a wife and she did her time 12 years.

She's been out for 12 years and she's been fine. What's wrong with helping your relatives, your family, your community by supervising a field trip of kids at the local school? What's wrong with that? She's not alone with these kids. None of them have been murdered, anything like that. I mean, there's no indication that she's going to kill. Well, actually, videotapes of the crimes surfaced after her plea bargain

that proved she was a much more active participant than she had claimed. And after those videotapes, they actually videotaped raping and torturing these little girls before they killed them. And after the videos came out, the deal had already been struck. Prosecutors called it the deal with the devil, and the public was outraged because the video show, she was just as much a part of it as her husband. Little known fact, huh, Alan? Missed that one. That is a little known fact. Video, videotapes of the crimes surface after they strike the deal that show that she is an active participant in the brutal rapes and murders of these little girls.

Well, look, she got out of prison, she got married, and she had a son. She started a family. I mean, she's just trying to get back into the life and into the world and volunteering at it. What's wrong with volunteering at a school? Well, she wouldn't be doing it with my kindergarten. What if it were a nursing home? Would you feel better if she was volunteering at a nursing home? Frankly, I don't feel good about her being out of jail because this was a huge travesty of justice in my mind. The victims during the summer, Bernardo, the husband,

became obsessed with her own younger sister, Tammy Homolka. And she agreed to help him. She drugged Tammy herself. And then they served Tammy a spaghetti dinner spiked with Valium. She cooked the dinner. She spiked the food. And then they started raping and torturing her. It goes on and on and on. Then the girl started choking on her own vomit during this as she is being. Then they used animal tranquilizers on her, I forgot that, and they both raped the girl while she was unconscious. Then Tammy, the little sister, choked on her own vomit and died. Before calling 911, she, Carla Homolka, hid the evidence and

redressed Tammy and moved her into a basement bedroom. That's what happened. And then she lied to police. I don't know how you excuse that by claiming the battered women's syndrome, which I'm not buying into this time. You don't believe it ever happens that a woman only... I said this time, Alan, don't start with me. I volunteered at the Atlanta Battered Women's Center for 10 years straight, volunteered working the hotline and trying to raise money for them. So don't start with me about the battered women's syndrome. But battered women's syndrome is typically used when you finally snap and kill your abuser, not three separate girls that you torture with hot curling irons,

rape, and murder. Okay? That ain't working with me. Okay? The reason her husband was convicted was because she testified against him. Yeah, because she did that deal. She turned on him, too. In fact, the prosecutor had the videotapes and said they show Homolka raping the four female victims.

Okay, having sex with a female prostitute in Atlantic City and at another point, drugging another unconscious victim. So there's actually four victims, three end up dead. I just don't see how you can use that theory. And now she's out up in an elementary school volunteering. I'm all fine with rehab, but not with my child in the class. That is not going to happen. I wonder if these parents know.

Yes, they do. In fact, some of them don't like it. There's one parent who said that she doesn't like how it feels to know that your child's interacting with a person who is a serial killer. It's not right. That's a quote. Obviously, parents know. It's a private school. It's a Christian school.

We're not talking about the government here. She's participating in things where she's not the only adult around. She goes to a show and tell in class. She drops in to pick up the children from school. She goes on a field trip. It's actually making my stomach hurt. My stomach's actually hurting thinking of a killer being around the twins because the prosecution's theory, and it was supported by witnesses, is that while the husband would rape the girls, she would be the one to actually kill them. And the revelations of that key piece of evidence that had been kept from police

created a public furor when the public realized Homolka had been a willing accomplice. A willing accomplice. There's no do-over on that kind of a thing, is there? No, there's no do-over. Once you strike a deal, it's a deal. And I would hate to be burned by that deal. Had you rather there be a known serial killer at your child's school than an unknown serial killer there's the bright side they know who she is and they know to watch um you know what i don't think those are my only

two choices alan i don't think i have to have a serial killer around my children period okay so chew on that it's the law no actually they could ban her there but how i don't even know what you're saying what's the law she's free she. She's been out of prison for 12 years. She served her time. It is not the law, Alan, that she has to volunteer at an elementary school and they have to let her. Maybe prosecutors and police should have done a better job in the first place. Why are prosecutors sometimes so eager? Maybe she shouldn't have killed three people.

Maybe she shouldn't have killed three people and tortured them with hot curling irons. How about that? What's there to defend? She pled guilty. They followed the law and she changed the law. Change the law then or change the prosecutors. Hey, I'm not talking about that. That's done. I'm talking about her volunteering in an elementary school. Well, what? She's out of prison. She's off. There's nothing illegal about what she's doing. Follow the law. She's legally out. There's no law being broken here. I'm not saying the law is being broken, Alan. I'm saying it's wrong. What are you going to do about it? I'm going to put it on this podcast and hopefully something will come of it because I think it's wrong to have a serial killer that preyed on little girls to be around little girls at an elementary school.

It's not just a one-time deal. There were multiple victims, multiple victims. I mean, I don't know if you're just saying this just for the sake of argument or if you actually believe it, but either way, it's crazy to suggest that she should be around children at this juncture. But there's no judge saying she shouldn't. There's no court order. There's no prohibition legally from her doing this. So? So change the law or do something.

File some documents or something. But nobody's done that. Well, actually, upon her release, she was ordered forbidden to be with people under the age of 16. Then why aren't they enforcing it? So she is clearly violating that, and nobody's doing anything about it. See, there's the problem. This is a violation of her order. There were nine points to her release conditions to tell police her home address, work address, and who she's

living with. Notify police if it changes. Notify police if a change of her name. If she planned to be away from home more than 48 hours, she had to give notice. Could not contact co-defendant. Number six, forbidden to be with people under 16. Drugs other than prescription forbidden to continue therapy and counseling and to provide police with a DNA sample. See, she's violating that, and they're doing nothing. I agree something should be done if she's violating it, but my point is if there is no order, is no prohibition, then she's got to be able to live her life.

Well, you just heard me tell you what it was. News to me. Thank you. Well, I'm glad I could enlighten you, Alan. The school knows all about this. So this is what I know. Convicted teen killer. In other words, the little girls were teens, not her. Volunteering at a popular elementary school.

Mm, mm, mm. And there's a picture of her with the dark glasses and the hair pulled back, so nobody knows it's her but it's her and she is in the media again she's using a purse to hide her face i also don't understand how if parents voice their concerns why they let it go on the school knows about her the school has said that they know who she is they say she's not a regular volunteer and they rarely ever see her, but there are these occasions where she's been to the school and people are making such a big deal out of this. Even though this is rare, she's never unsupervised. You know, they know who she is so they can watch

her. A lawyer who represents the French and the Mahaffey families say, quote, it is still a kick in the guts to hear reports of Homolka seemingly living a normal life when their beloved children have been kidnapped and murdered. They say, quote, these are joys the French and Mahaffey families will never enjoy because of Carla Homolka murdering their children. That's what the victims say. They add, I think she's dangerous and I would not take the chance with my children to be around her. So your stance on this is that it's okay. You told me now that there's some kind of court order prohibiting her from doing that, then it's not okay. But my point is, if there's not, then what are you going to do?

She's got to live her life. She has a family. She's doing normal things. It's been 12 years since she's been in prison. She got out, and everything's fine. So just supervise her when she's there. And it's rare. So she's got to live her life. She's out of prison.

I'm all for her living her life, which is a bitter pill for me to swallow since she's a three-time killer. It's the law. But I was in the middle of the synopsis, Alan. But that does not mean she has to be around children. And I will leave it at that since we can agree to disagree.

I'm talking about Karla Homolka, serial killer, now volunteering with little children. The school is letting her. That's just so bass-ackwards. Nancy Grace, Crime Stories, signing off. Goodbye, friend. This is an iHeart Podcast.