Over in Canada, a 40 year old woman named Jean Anne Rudski, who is charged
with brutally murdering a 14 year old girl last week, made her first appearance
in court yesterday. She is charged with first degree murder, and she made quite
a MESS out of 14 year old Adrienne Amikons. The dead body of this 14 year old
girl was found by police, lying on the floor of the house where Jean Anne
lived. Police had received a phone call about excessive noise coming from the
house. When they arrived, they found Jean Anne outside of her house, covered in
blood, and holding a knife. Two policewomen wrestled the knife away from Jean
Anne, with one of them suffering cuts to her hands in the struggle.
When they went inside they found the DECAPITATED body (and head) of 14 year
old Adrienne. A policewoman on the scene tells us that she had never seen
anything as horrific as the decapitated body of this 14 year old girl, in her 9
years on the police force. "The first image we had is certainly something that
will stick with us for the rest of our lives", she said. Cool. I just wish
there were more details given here on exactly how this decapitation was
perfeormed, whether Jean Anne mutilated the decapitated body, etc... More
details, please!
Anyway, relatives of 40 year old Jean Anne say that she does have a
psychiatric history. It's not clear WHY the 14 year old girl was inside Jean
Anne's house, or what prompted Jean Anne to commit this impressive
murder/decapitation.
We do learn that back in August, Jean Anne was arrested and charged with
attacking another woman, as the woman walked along the street with her
children. She was charged with assault, but that case has yet to go to trial,
and Jean Anne was released shortly after being charged, with the understanding
that she would appear in court on that charge when the case did reach trial.
Well, looks like she beat the judicial system to the punch, by decapitating
this 14 year old girl before she could face any jail time or committal to any
mental hospital, for that assault in August.
Take care, JOE
The following appears courtesy of the 12/22/97 online edition of The Toronto
Sun newspaper:
`System' blamed in decapitation
Native centre tried to help woman accused in brutal murder
By Michelle Shephard
Toronto Star Staff Reporter
PETERBOROUGH - Friends in Peterborough's native community tried to get help for
the woman charged with the gruesome death of a 14-year-old girl.
The last thing Mike Myers, executive director of Peterborough's Native
Friendship Centre, can recall hearing was: ``There's nothing we can do until
she does something.''
Jean Anne Rudski, a 40-year-old woman who often visited the centre and who
Myers desperately tried to help, has been charged with first-degree murder in
connection with the decapitation death last Thursday of Grade 9 student
Adrienne Amikons.
And yesterday, as friends and relatives filled the centre to comfort Adrienne's
family, Myers fumed about not having a system that could help Rudski.
NEEDED HOSPITAL
``We tried every avenue,'' he said, as mourners walked past him into the
centre. ``We tried to keep her in the hospital. She should have been
hospitalized.
``We were left holding the bag,'' Myers added. ``We did all we could (at the
centre) but we're not trained for that kind of care.
``We were just told no one could help us,'' he said. ``It's a massive system
failure.''
Staff at the centre had expressed concern about Rudski's behaviour but became
especially wary this summer when she was charged with an attack on a mother
walking with her children downtown.
Peterborough police confirmed yesterday that Rudski had been charged Aug. 14
with assault with a weapon and assault with intent to resist arrest. That case
is still before the courts.
As the weekend vigil continued inside the centre yesterday, Adrienne's mother,
9-year-old brother and 16-year-old sister sat trying to make sense of something
senseless.
Friends who visited with them said the family did not personally know Rudski,
but knew of her through the centre.
Grief rippled out from the downtown centre throughout Peterborough.
Down the street at the police station, Constable Marilyn Gandy was trying to
concentrate on the work of the day and put the last few horrendous days behind
her.
It was 7:22 p.m. when she got the call to attend 1435 Clearview Dr. for a noise
complaint.
Nice neighbourhood in west-end Peterborough and a fairly routine call, Gandy
recalls thinking.
That was before she arrived, and spotted a woman, drenched in blood, leaving
the house.
``Shock is still the only word I can use to describe it,'' she said yesterday
in an interview at police headquarters.
She spoke with the woman until Constable Nancy Walsh, who has been with the
police department for two years, arrived. In a struggle to handcuff the woman
Gandy saw the knife. Walsh was slashed on both her hands.
But the gruesome discovery was still inside the house. It's a scene Gandy will
never forget.
``You deal with everything at the time as you're trained to do and you don't
deal with the emotions. It's later when those flood in that things get tough,''
she said.
After nine years on the force, the 28-year-old constable could not have
prepared herself for what she'd see - the decapitated body of a teenager.
``That first image we had is certainly something that will stick with us for
the rest of our lives,'' she said.
When the shift finally ended for Gandy at 6 a.m., she sat with others involved
with the investigation and they simply talked.
``This has been one of the most trying experiences our department has ever
faced,'' Sergeant Steve Streeter said.
Beside Streeter's computer rests an envelope marked, ``Donations For Adrienne
Amikons.''
They hope to raise money to buy Christmas presents for Adrienne's brother and
sister.
As police continued to comb the Clearview Dr. house for clues yesterday, dozens
of cars drove along the quiet street, stopping to stare.
One teenage neighbour said he was too distraught to talk about the murder.
Another, Tom Jenkins, who went to grade school with Adrienne, described her as
a quiet, shy girl.
Myers said the home was owned by native co-op housing and they have already
found another home for the family.
Adrienne will be buried Wednesday in Golden Lake, which is south of Pembroke,
and when the family returns to Peterborough they will move into their newly
furnished home.
``That way they'll never have to go back to that house,'' Myers said.
A fund has been set up for the family to cover funeral costs.
Donations may be sent to the Peterborough Native Friendship Centre, 65 Brock
St., Peterborough, Ont. K9H 1A1; or by calling 1-800-717-3517.
------------------------
The following appears courtesy of yesterday's United Press International news
wire:
Suspected murderer appears in court
United Press International
Mon, 22 Dec 1997
TORONTO, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- A 40-year-old woman accused of brutally murdering a
young girl has made her first appearance in an Ontario court.
Jean Anne Rudski of the Toronto municipality of Peterborough has been charged
with first degree murder after 14-year-old Adrienne Amikons was found
decapitated last week.
Rudski appeared briefly in court today, and is to return Dec. 31 to face her
charges.
The town of Peterborough remains in shock after the gruesome discovery by
police at about 7:30 p.m. EST last Thursday.
Const. Marilyn Gandy told the Toronto Star newspaper that after nine years on
the force, she had never seen anything like the decapitated body of the
teenager which lay on Rudski's floor.
Gandy says, ``The first image we had is certainly something that will stick
with us for the rest of our lives.''
She says she was called to the scene after there was a complaint about noise,
and found Rudski outside her house, covered in blood and holding a knife.
Friends of the victim's family say Rudski is a psychiatric patient who was
refused help ``until she does something.''
A memorial service was held Sunday in honor of Amikons, and a funeral service
has been scheduled for Wednesday in Golden Lake, just south of Pembroke,
Ontario.
The local police department has set up a fund that will be used to buy
Christmas presents for her brother and sister.