"She was an adorable baby and a sweet little girl. She loved rainbows and puppies and princessess."
Sheri Hickman, the mother of Jill Lyons, reminds us of the inconsolable loss of a child as she spoke to the media Monday. At 45, Lyons, lost her life at the hands of another, and life will never be the same for her family.
During the same month, August of last year, Herb Auerbach also saw his daughter, Karen Nabors, lose her life, allegedly at the hands of the same man accused in Lyons' death. As Auerbach eloquently told the media on Monday, "Whether hers was more or less risky than others, either in the fishery or forestry business, is not relevant. Murder is a crime that is unacceptable in any job."
Auerbach refers to the fact that both Lyons and Nabors were employed as online escorts. A fact that, at the time of the murders, seemed to render the victims less important, less noteworthy, and somehow deserving of less sympathy.
The two women were mothers, sisters and daughters. They were much loved and will be missed. They deserved no less mourning and their deaths deserved no less attention from the police than any other person who has lost their life at the hands of another.
The New Westminster police were criticized at the time of the murders, as it appeared that less attention was being placed on the investigation, owing to the women's occupation. The public and media are understandably still skeptical that women in the sex trade receive the same treatment in the judicial system as others. The Pickton case was a dramatic and horrific example of that mindset. So, it's no wonder - although perhaps unfair - that police come under special scrutiny when faced with victims who work as escorts.
Thankfully, those criticisms appear misplaced in the Lyons' and Nabors' case. The police and investigators were dogged in tracking down surveillance tapes and, hopefully, have prepared a solid case for the Crown.
There are no happy endings in these situations, but there may be justice.
