Elaine Campione
Frances Elaine Campione | |
|---|---|
 Elaine Campione and her daughters, Serena and Sophia (undated) | |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation(s) | Nanny and other |
| Criminal status | In prison |
| Spouse | Ex: Leo Campione |
| Children | Serena and Sophia Campione |
| Motive | Bitter custody battle |
| Conviction(s) | First degree murder (both counts) |
| Criminal charge | First degree murder |
| Penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Details | |
| Victims | Serena and Sophia Campione |
| Date | October 2, 2006 |
| Location(s) | Barrie, Ontario |
| Weapon | Bathtub and water |
Frances Elaine Campione[1] is an Ontario woman who murdered her two children in Barrie, Ontario, on October 2, 2006. Canadian prosecutors argued that she wanted to get revenge on her ex-husband and was afraid he would receive custody.[2]
Background and crime[edit]
Elaine Campione originated from Coles Island, New Brunswick, living there until she moved to Ontario for work reasons at around age 20. She had attended home support classes at a community college for one year. Christie Blatchford of The Globe and Mail wrote that she had "a normal enough childhood".[3] She went to Ontario to work as a nanny and she had other jobs.[3]
Elaine and then-husband Leo Campione, whom she met in 2000,[3] lived in Bradford, Ontario. The two parties divorced and Leo moved out of the house.[4] The victims, Serena and Sophia, were three years and nineteen months old, respectively, at the time of their deaths.[1]
At the time of the incident, Campione lived with her children in the Coulter Glen Apartments in northern Barrie.[1] Blatchford wrote that Leo and Elaine Campione were "engaged in a nasty divorce and custody battle."[3] Leo accused Campione of giving the girls substandard conditions at her apartment and asked the authorities for more access to the children and the appointment of a children's lawyer about one week before the deaths. Leo stated that there was a "mental health breakdown" on the mother's part.[1]
On October 2, 2006, Campione killed the girls by immersing them in a bathtub in their house, causing them to drown. She filmed a video addressed to her ex-husband with segments before and after her daughters died. Jessica Owen of Village Media described the video as "lengthy".[1] When the drownings were finished, Campione dressed them in pajamas and jewelry, posed them on a bed with objects, and attempted to kill herself.[1]
Prosecution and aftermath[edit]
The Crown (Ontario authorities) charged her with two counts of first degree murder.[5] Mary Cremer served as Campione's lawyer.[3]
The trial took seven weeks.[4] Campione's lawyer argued that she was not guilty by reason of insanity; they did not dispute that she killed the girls.[6] On November 15, 2010 she was convicted.[5] The jury decided that she was guilty as she knew murder was wrong, despite any presence of mental illness.[7] Campione was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 25 years.[6] Leo Campione read a victim impact statement.[4]
Campione filed appeals against her conviction in 2010.[5] In 2015 some of them were denied.[7] In 2019 the Parole Board of Canada allowed her to have escorted absences from prison.[1]
See also[edit]
Cases of filicide in Canada:
Cases of filicide attributed to revenge against an ex-spouse:
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g Owen, Jessica (2019-10-03). "Barrie mom who killed her kids granted escorted temporary absences from jail". Newmarket Today. Village Media. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
- ^ "Spousal revenge rare motive for killing kids, experts say". CTV News. 2010-11-16. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
- ^ a b c d e Blatchford, Christine (2010-10-12). "Mother of accused tells murder trial her daughter was 'disengaged'". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
- ^ a b c "Mother of murdered sisters sentenced to life". CTV News. 2010-11-17. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
- ^ a b c "Ont. mom convicted of killing daughters appeals". CBC. The Canadian Press. 2010-12-10. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
- ^ a b "Dad of two girls drowned by their mother says he's haunted by the image". cp24.com. Bell Media. The Canadian Press. 2010-11-17. Retrieved 2019-10-08. - Also at: Jones, Allison (2010-11-17). "Father haunted by image of drowned daughters, court hears". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2019-10-08. // Updated on May 2, 2018.
- ^ a b "Elaine Campione sees appeal dismissed in double murder conviction". CBC. The Canadian Press. 2015-02-03. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
- 2006 in Ontario
- 2006 murders in Canada
- 21st-century Canadian criminals
- Canadian female criminals
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- Canadian murderers of children
- Canadian people convicted of murder
- Canadian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
- Deaths by drowning
- Filicides in Canada
- Incidents of violence against girls
- Living people
- October 2006 crimes
- People convicted of murder by Canada
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