The four-part docuseries “Ken and Barbie Killers: The Lost Murder Tapes” on Investigation Discovery tells the horrifying tale of a series of murders that occurred in Canada in the 1990s. In St. Catharines, Niagara, Canada, on Christmas Eve of 1990, Tammy Homolka’s body was discovered in the house. Although it was initially considered an accident, years later it became clear there was more to her death thanks to a shocking confession and videotape evidence. Let’s investigate this case further, shall we?
How Did Tammy Homolka Die?
In January 1975, Tammy Lyn Homolka was conceived. She grew up in Port Credit, Canada, as one of three girls. The 15-year-old showed keen interest in a variety of sports. She attended Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in St. Catharines at the time of the incident. The Homolkas were having a party on Christmas Eve 1990 at their home. In the activity room, Tammy was accompanied by her sister Karla and Paul Bernardo, Karla’s boyfriend.
The group was lounging around while taking in a movie and drinking. But Tammy choked on her own vomit on December 24 of that year. She was saved by emergency personnel, who also took her quickly to the hospital. But shortly after, the 15-year-old passed away there. At the time, Tammy’s death was declared accidental, and the family moved on. But beginning in 1993, previously unreported facts gave the case a fresh turn.
Who Killed Tammy Homolka?
Karla divorced Paul, her ex-husband, in 1993 and reported him for domestic violence to the police. She then asserted that Tammy’s death was not as simple as first thought and mentioned videotapes of the moments leading up to her passing. The authorities reopened the case as a result of Karla’s unexpected disclosures. She also claimed that Paul was responsible for the deaths of Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French, two more youngsters.
Back then, according to Karla, Paul desired a sexual relationship with Tammy and requested her assistance in drugging her sister. She initially said she opposed the entire scheme, but Paul had physically assaulted and intimidated her to get her to cooperate. Karla took an anaesthetic from the veterinary facility where she was employed at the time. On the night of the event, Paul drugged Tammy in the recreation room before stripping her and filming a sexual attack on her.
Karla covered Tammy’s face with an anesthetic-covered towel as the assault was taking place. Then, according to her, Paul compelled her to have sex with her sister, she alleged. Karla claims that Paul forced her to pose as Tammy while they were having sex even months prior to the assault. He allegedly coerced her into saying, “My name is Tammy. I am a 15-year-old. You are the virgin I want to marry. Soon after the assault in the recreation room, Tammy vomited and choked on it, which ultimately caused her death.
Karla and Paul could be seen in the recreation room, both naked, in additional video evidence presented in court. We raped a young girl, she claimed on the recording. I love you, therefore I let you do it. Additionally, Karla pledges to assist Paul in finding additional virgins. Karla asserted on the witness stand that she only spoke when Paul wanted to hear it and added, “Again, it’s not true that I intended to do any of this. I attempt to find the right response to the query he posed to me.
Where is Karla Homolka Now?
Karla admitted confessed to two charges of manslaughter in the deaths of Leslie and Kristen in 1993. She was given a total of 12 years in prison after receiving five years in each case and two more for the death of her sister. Karla brought home another another videotape of an unnamed woman, who Paul then sexually assaulted, but she was never prosecuted for it. Given that she was an active participant in the films, the public was outraged by her light sentence.
In Tammy’s death, Paul was also found guilty of manslaughter. At the age of about 36, Karla was freed from prison in July 2005. Later, she made her home in Quebec, Canada, where she wed her defence attorney’s brother. Leanne Teale, who once went by Karla, is now the mother of three kids. She lived in Montreal, Quebec, and was a former volunteer at the neighbourhood school, according to a report from 2020.
