MEDICINE HAT, Alta. — A woman who was 12 when she helped murder her family in southeastern Alberta is no longer under any curfews.
A Medicine Hat judge has ruled the woman will no longer have to remain home after a certain hour on week nights.
Court heard how she has progressed in her rehabilitation to the point where she is at the lowest risk to reoffend.
The woman, who can't be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was convicted along with her then-boyfriend of killing her mother, father and eight-year-old brother in the family's Medicine Hat home in April 2006.
She is now 21 and living on her own in Calgary and has been enrolled in university.
Her 10-year sentence — the maximum for young offenders between 12 and 14 — will have been served as of May 7 of next year. It included four years in a psychiatric institution and 4 1/2 years under conditional supervision in the community.
The young woman has been described as a "poster child" for rehabilitation at previous reviews and has been considered a low-risk to reoffend.
Court of Queen's Bench Justice Scott Brooker has slowly been removing the restrictions he imposed on her as part of her sentence under the Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision program.
He lifted her curfew on weekends in 2014, but kept it in place on week nights at a review earlier this year. That's what was lifted on Thursday.
Jeremy Steinke, who was 23 at the time of the killings, is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for 25 years.
The Crown argued that Steinke helped kill the parents because they disapproved of the 10-year age gap between him and the girl. A picture was painted at trial of a lovestruck, immature man who believed he had found his true love and would do anything to keep her affection.
It was suggested the crime was loosely based on Steinke's favourite movie ''Natural Born Killers," Oliver Stone's twisted love story about a pair of young serial killers who get their start by killing the girl's parents. A friend testified at the trial that while Steinke watched the movie, he said there would be one key difference — in the movie, a young boy is saved, but his girlfriend's brother would have to die.
Steinke admitted in court that he stabbed the mother and the father after he snuck into the family's home. But he argued that he did not plan the killings.
He said he attacked the mother, who was wearing only a nightgown, after she turned on a light switch and found him huddled in the darkened basement.
She screamed. Her husband came running with a small screwdriver and rushed Steinke. The man died in a fighter's stance, his arms still raised above him with loose fists in a room splashed with blood.
The father died from 24 stab wounds from a serrated knife, the mother from 12 wounds.
Steinke steadfastly maintained the boy's death came at the hands of the girl.
At trial, police officers and other witnesses became emotional as they recalled seeing the body of the small boy, found on his bed with a deep slash to his throat, his eyes and mouth wide open. Stuffed animals and a toy light sabre spattered with the boy's blood could be seen lying next to his body.
Steinke and the girl were arrested in Leader, Sask., about a 90-minute drive away, the day after the bodies were found.
CANADA'S YOUNGEST MASS MURDERER, HER REHABILITATION AND HER PATH TO FREEDOM
Here is a look at her path toward freedom so far:
Nov. 8, 2007: She receives a 10-year Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision sentence, the maximum for young offenders between the age of 12 and 14. It includes four years in a psychiatric institution and 4 1/2 years under conditional supervision in the community.
Nov. 7, 2010: She is allowed to serve her sentence in an open custody group home in Calgary with all outings needing the approval of the office of Alberta’s Solicitor General.
Jan. 26, 2011: She receives a glowing report from her therapy team and case workers. Justice Scott Brooker is told she is excelling scholastically and prepping for university in the fall. Brooker tells her, "It’s quite clear you’re making significant progress towards your rehabilitation."
Sept. 27, 2011: During her last appearance in the custodial phase of her sentence, court hears she is making more progress in her rehabilitation. Brooker orders her to remain in Alberta, abide by a curfew and allow for warrantless searches of any electronic devices in order for authorities to monitor her use of social networking sites.
March 29, 2012: Court told she is making "positive strides." She is taking university courses in Calgary and holding down a part-time job. The judge extends her curfew.
Oct. 1, 2012: Brooker hears she is currently living alone while working and taking classes. She is responding positively to treatment, is expressing remorse that experts consider to be genuine and is assessed at a low risk to reoffend. "You are doing well. Keep up the good work," Brooker says.
Sept. 30, 2013: Despite her lawyer calling her a "poster child" for how young offenders can be rehabilitated, Brooker rules the 19-year-old should still have to abide by an 11:30 p.m. curfew. He promises to revisit the matter in a few months.
Dec. 9, 2013: Brooker rejects a request to remove 11:30 p.m. curfew, saying he didn't see "any compelling need to change." The Crown argues against removing the curfew, saying it made supervision more effective and reduces risk to the community.
Sept. 11, 2014: Brooker agrees to lift the woman's curfew on weekends. He says the woman needs to assume more responsibility and that a partial curfew could provide that to some extent.
Feb. 17, 2015: Brooker rejects a request to have the girl's Monday-to-Thursday curfew removed. He agrees with a recommendation from her rehabilitation team that the curfew remain until her transition into fully independent living can be assessed. She is scheduled to transition to a living arrangement with no supervision in the spring.
