Jasmine Richardson now — Her attempt at a normal life after completing her sentence
Believed to be the youngest person in Canada to be convicted on three counts of first-degree murder, a 12-year-old Jasmine Richardson’s involvement in the 2006 murder of her parents and brother with the help of her 23-year-old groomer was a bizarre case, to say the least.
Initially thought to be another unfortunate victim, Richardson’s reappearance after the horrific event revealed her to be one of the perpetrators of the crime in a disturbing turn of events. As per the Youth Criminal Justice Act of Canada, Richardson received a penalty of 10-years imprisonment, which included being admitted to a psychiatric institution among other requirements.
Key Takeaways
- Jasmine Richardson is presumed to be leading a normal life, albeit discreetly, in an undisclosed location in Canada.
- She walked free in May 2016 after the completion of her 10-year sentence which required rehabilitation and education.
- While serving her sentence, Jasmine Richardson has been described as the ‘poster child’ of rehabilitation and is deemed unlikely to re-offend in her adult life.
Jasmine Richardson lives a presumably normal life in an undisclosed location in Canada after completing her sentence in May 2016
At 22 years old, Jasmine Richardson’s 10-year sentence for the murder of her family ended in May 2016. After qualifying for an Intensive Rehabilitation Custody and Supervision (IRCS) sentence in 2007, she spent four years in a psychiatric institution and another four and a half years under conditional community supervision.
While serving her sentence, she received her education in Calgary, Alberta for almost six years and eventually lived on her own as she attended Mount Royal University as well.
“I think your parents and brother would be proud of you. Clearly, you cannot undo the past; you can only live each day with the knowledge you can control how you behave and what you do each day,” Justice Scott Brooker of the Court of Queen’s Bench told Richardson, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBS News) reported.
As per CBC News, Richardson’s final appearance in court via closed-circuit television ended with her thanking the judge. However, as she virtually addressed the court from an undisclosed location, it was noted that she made no apology or indicated visible remorse for her actions.
Five years after her walking free, Richardson is presumed to be living a discreet livelihood in an undisclosed location in Canada. Moreover, News.Com states that she is likely to have assumed a secret identity to live her days as normally as possible.
Jasmine Richardson was deemed the ‘poster child’ of rehabilitation and is at the lowest risk to re-offend, says her lawyer
In August 2015, just a year prior to the completion of her sentence, Richardson’s weeknights curfew was lifted by Judge Brooker, reported the CBS News. This was following Richardson’s consistent growth in the rehabilitation and supervision program. They further provided favorable reviews by describing her as a “poster child” of rehabilitation.
The reviews stated that Richardson’s progressive rehabilitation has left her at the lowest risk to re-offend. This was also mentioned in Judge Brooker’s final review of the case that concluded that Richardson has successfully reached all of her rehabilitation goals and is unlikely to re-offend again as an adult.
Moreover, during the final court appearance that marked the end of her sentence, Katherin Beyak, Richardson’s defense lawyer vouched for her, saying;
“She has made huge gains and huge rehabilitative progress in terms of where she was to where she is today. Society should be satisfied with the fact that the system has worked in this case.”
Besides, Beyak wished for her client’s safety and also hoped that Richardson would not receive any backlash from the community. She explained that Richardson’s criminal court records as a youth would be permanently sealed in five years, so long as she does not commit any criminal acts as an adult.
However, officer Brett Secondiak, who was among the first officers arriving at the crime scene expressed his concerns, echoing the thoughts of doubtful community members. While he could not comprehend such an act of horror and violence, he hoped that everyone involved would “find peace and move on”.
“My biggest fear is that she hasn’t [been rehabilitated], that she’s tricked those in the system, that she hasn’t moved forward … I hope that she’s truly taken responsibility for this and is able to move forward,” said Secondiak.
