Tammy Homolka
Encyclopedia
Tammy Lyn Homolka was the younger sister and victim of Canadian murderer Karla Homolka
and her partner, Paul Bernardo
.
Tammy grew up in the city of St. Catharines, Ontario
. She was known for her athletic abilities and she avidly participated in a variety of sports, including track and field, cross country running, and soccer
, with soccer being her favourite. She was a Grade 10 student at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School
in St. Catharines at the time of her death.
On 24 December 1990, less than two weeks before Tammy's 16th birthday, Karla Homolka and her fiancé, Paul Bernardo
, plied Tammy with alcoholic drinks laced with Halcion, a sedative. When she fell unconscious, the two rape
d her. Tammy Homolka became sick while sedated and died. After failed attempts to revive her, Karla covered up evidence of the assault and called an ambulance. Her official cause of death was listed as choking to death on her own vomit, and was believed at the time to have been an accident.
After Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka were arrested for the murder
s of Leslie Mahaffy
and Kristen French
, Tammy Homolka's body was exhumed and Bernardo was subsequently tried and convicted for her murder.
as he watched.
In September 1990, as their relationship progressed, Bernardo started to press Homolka to allow him to have sex with Tammy. She eventually conceded and obtained a bottle of Halothane
(a liquid general anesthetic) from the veterinary clinic
where she worked, that would later be used to sedate Tammy during the rape. On December 23, 1990, Tammy was drugged with a combination of Halcion and alcohol
, passing out in the family room in the basement of the Homolka house. Homolka's parents and sister Lori were upstairs asleep at the time.
They filmed the entire rape, taking turns holding the camera, using the Halothane to keep Tammy unconscious.
In 2001, the magazine Elm Street published an article in which it implied that forensic evidence proved that Tammy's death was not an accident and that her sister had deliberately administered an overdose of Halothane. The magazine described Karla as a "malignant narcissist
" who was so incensed by her fiance's attraction to her sister that she took steps to remove Tammy from his affections permanently.
for Karla, in exchange for her testimony and full disclosure of all crimes. At the time, the role she and Paul had played in Tammy's death was not known. When she was admitted for psychiatric assessment in March 1993, Karla confessed in a letter to her parents about her involvement in Tammy's death.
In July 1993, Tammy's body was exhumed. Inside her casket was wedding invitation for Karla and Paul's wedding as well as some notes. Other members of the Homolka family asked that the items be removed before the reburial of Tammy.
When the plea agreement was finalized, the initial 10-year sentence was still intact, with two years added for Tammy's death. Karla was officially sentenced to 12 years on July 6, 1993.
portrayed Karla, Misha Collins
portrayed Paul Bernardo and Cherilyn Hayres portrayed Tammy Homolka.
Karla Homolka
Karla Leanne Homolka, also known as Karla Leanne Teale , is a Canadian serial killer. She attracted worldwide media attention when she was convicted of manslaughter following a plea bargain in the 1991 and 1992 rape-murders of two Ontario teenage girls, Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French, as well as...
and her partner, Paul Bernardo
Paul Bernardo
Paul Kenneth Bernardo, also known as Paul Jason Teale , is a Canadian serial killer and rapist, known for the sexual assaults and murders he committed with his wife Karla Homolka and the serial rapes he committed in Scarborough.-Early life:Bernardo's mother, Marilyn, was the adopted daughter of a...
.
Tammy grew up in the city of St. Catharines, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. She was known for her athletic abilities and she avidly participated in a variety of sports, including track and field, cross country running, and soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, with soccer being her favourite. She was a Grade 10 student at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School
Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School (St. Catharines)
Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School is a secondary school in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It is one of 8 public high schools in St. Catharines, and is located in the Glenridge area of the city...
in St. Catharines at the time of her death.
On 24 December 1990, less than two weeks before Tammy's 16th birthday, Karla Homolka and her fiancé, Paul Bernardo
Paul Bernardo
Paul Kenneth Bernardo, also known as Paul Jason Teale , is a Canadian serial killer and rapist, known for the sexual assaults and murders he committed with his wife Karla Homolka and the serial rapes he committed in Scarborough.-Early life:Bernardo's mother, Marilyn, was the adopted daughter of a...
, plied Tammy with alcoholic drinks laced with Halcion, a sedative. When she fell unconscious, the two rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d her. Tammy Homolka became sick while sedated and died. After failed attempts to revive her, Karla covered up evidence of the assault and called an ambulance. Her official cause of death was listed as choking to death on her own vomit, and was believed at the time to have been an accident.
After Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka were arrested for the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
s of Leslie Mahaffy
Leslie Mahaffy
Leslie Erin Mahaffy was a teenaged female student, resident of Burlington, Ontario, Canada, who was murdered by serial killers Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. Mahaffy's kidnapping was one in a series of disappearances of Ontario schoolgirls in the early 1990s, including Kristen French, also a...
and Kristen French
Kristen French
Kristen Dawn French was a Canadian Catholic school girl and the victim of a gruesome and much-publicized murder.-Biography:...
, Tammy Homolka's body was exhumed and Bernardo was subsequently tried and convicted for her murder.
Dangerous obsession
From the beginning of their relationship, Homolka noticed that Bernardo had taken a particular liking to Tammy. He would often pay special attention to her, and even went so far as to have his girlfriend pretend to be her sister during sex. In other instances, he would secretly watch Tammy undress from outside the Homolka house, masturbatingMasturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
as he watched.
In September 1990, as their relationship progressed, Bernardo started to press Homolka to allow him to have sex with Tammy. She eventually conceded and obtained a bottle of Halothane
Halothane
Halothane is an inhalational general anesthetic. Its IUPAC name is 2-bromo-2-chloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane. It is the only inhalational anesthetic agent containing a bromine atom; there are several other halogenated anesthesia agents which lack the bromine atom and do contain the fluorine and...
(a liquid general anesthetic) from the veterinary clinic
Clinic
A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
where she worked, that would later be used to sedate Tammy during the rape. On December 23, 1990, Tammy was drugged with a combination of Halcion and alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, passing out in the family room in the basement of the Homolka house. Homolka's parents and sister Lori were upstairs asleep at the time.
They filmed the entire rape, taking turns holding the camera, using the Halothane to keep Tammy unconscious.
In 2001, the magazine Elm Street published an article in which it implied that forensic evidence proved that Tammy's death was not an accident and that her sister had deliberately administered an overdose of Halothane. The magazine described Karla as a "malignant narcissist
Malignant Narcissism
Malignant narcissism has been described as "an extreme form of antisocial personality disorder that is manifest in a person who is pathologically grandiose, lacking in conscience and behavioral regulation, and with characteristic demonstrations of joyful cruelty and sadism".Malignant narcissism is...
" who was so incensed by her fiance's attraction to her sister that she took steps to remove Tammy from his affections permanently.
Implications of Karla's plea bargain
On February 26, 1993, the defense lawyer and the Crown began negotiations on a 10-year sentenceSentence (law)
In law, a sentence forms the final explicit act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. The sentence can generally involve a decree of imprisonment, a fine and/or other punishments against a defendant convicted of a crime...
for Karla, in exchange for her testimony and full disclosure of all crimes. At the time, the role she and Paul had played in Tammy's death was not known. When she was admitted for psychiatric assessment in March 1993, Karla confessed in a letter to her parents about her involvement in Tammy's death.
In July 1993, Tammy's body was exhumed. Inside her casket was wedding invitation for Karla and Paul's wedding as well as some notes. Other members of the Homolka family asked that the items be removed before the reburial of Tammy.
When the plea agreement was finalized, the initial 10-year sentence was still intact, with two years added for Tammy's death. Karla was officially sentenced to 12 years on July 6, 1993.
Movie
In 2006 the American made film titled "Karla" premiered. It was based on Karla Homolka and was from her point of view. In the film, Tammy's death is featured in one one of the scenes. Laura PreponLaura Prepon
Laura Prepon is an American actress, best known for her role as Donna Pinciotti in the long-running Fox situation comedy That '70s Show, for all eight seasons. She is also known for the role of Hannah Daniels on the ABC drama October Road...
portrayed Karla, Misha Collins
Misha Collins
Misha Collins is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his role as the angel Castiel on the CW television series Supernatural.-Personal life:...
portrayed Paul Bernardo and Cherilyn Hayres portrayed Tammy Homolka.