CANADA • Jane, 9 & Jason, 13 LOUIE ~ Calgary AB

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Jane Louie, 9, and Jason Louie, 13, were found murdered in their Calgary home on November 27, 2009. Their father, James Bing Jun Louie, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first degree-murder in their death and one count of attempted murder relating to a physical altercation involving his wife.

His trial begins today, February 28, 2011. Crown Prosecutor Beverley Bauer says evidence will show Jason Louie was strangled with a rope and his sister, Jane, died by asphyxia.


Details of children's murder released in court
February, 28, 2011

The Calgary dad charged with murdering his two children was moments away from being blown away by police as he tried to strangle his estranged wife, court heard Monday.

Const. Dan Jordens said he was preparing to fire on James Bing Jun Louie when his partner pulled him away from his wife.

At the time, Louie was pulling hard on a rope he had wrapped around the neck of Ying Louie, who’d gone to the matrimonial home to check on the welfare of her kids.

Jordens said he and Const. Tony Moores found the couple in the master bedroom ensuite of the Panorama Hills Pl. N.W. home they once shared.

The accused murderer had a yellow rope around her neck, his crossed hands grasping the ligature, as he held a knee in her back, Jordens told Crown prosecutor Matthew Hinshaw.

“While he was doing that he was also trying to pull his arms apart as this rope is around this female’s neck,” Jordens said.

“It was at that point in time I made a decision in my mind that I was going to use lethal force in this individual.”

But before Jordens pulled the trigger, Moores jumped in, grabbing Louie from behind and pulling him away from his wife.

Louie is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the strangulation deaths of his son, Jason, 13, and daughter Jane, 9, inside their northwest home.

Moores earlier testified he and Jordens arrived at the home after being dispatched to check on a woman who had screamed before hanging up on 911.

Once there, they found the front door open and began a search of the home.

In the basement they found the boy, propped up on a couch with a blanket covering most of his body,

It was only when Moores pulled the quilt away from the child’s neck did he notice evidence he’d been strangled.

The girl — who was found in her own bed — wasn’t discovered until after the near-deadly encounter in the upstairs bathroom.

Under cross-examination, Jordens told defence counsel Noel O’Brien he felt his client’s reaction to their arrival to be strange.

“I just found the expressionless face to be odd,” he said.

“As he was looking directly at me there was no change in expression.”

O’Brien will argue his client’s mental state made him incapable of murder.

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2011/02/28/17438626.html

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Mom speaks about horror of children's murder

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“Those who are close to me have expressed their inability to even begin to imagine what I am going through. Most days I, too, can't comprehend or accept what happened. I love my children dearly and I want them to be remembered fondly by everyone who knew them.”

Ying said she trusts justice will be served.

“With God's grace and peace, my hope and prayer is that I can learn to live with this permanent, frightening scar that I know will never go away,” she said.

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2011/02/28/17435911.html

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Trial centres around mental state of Calgary man who slayed his children

The mental state of a city man who killed his two young children and attempted to kill his wife 15 months ago will be the key issue at a trial over the next three weeks, a court heard on Monday.

"It's not an issue of causation, it's his mental state," defence lawyer Noel O'Brien, who represents James Bing Jun Louie, advised Court of Queen's Bench Justice Earl Wilson. "It will become more apparent when an agreed statement of facts is presented ... we're working on it now."

James Louie, 45, is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of son Jason Louie, 13, and daughter Jane Louie, 9, and attempted murder of his estranged wife Ying. The two children were found dead in the family's Panorama Hills home on Nov. 27, 2009.

Crown prosecutor Beverley Bauer said in her opening statement that Ying Louie had called 911 twice expressing concerns about the safety of her children prior to police arriving at their home in response to a third call.

She said when police arrived that evening, they found the accused attacking Ying with a rope and they were involved in a violent struggle. The children were already dead.

READ MORE

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Police recount details of woman's fight for life after husband allegedly strangled her
March 1, 2011



Framed by police tape and dusted with fresh snow two stuffed animals and a bouquet of
flowers rest on the front lawn of the Panorama Hills home Monday, November 30 that was
the scene of a double murder Friday November 27, 2009. Photograph by: Gavin Young, Calgary Herald

With her two children already dead at their father's hands, Ying Louie barely clung to life on the floor of the master bedroom's ensuite where her husband had also tried to strangle her with a piece of rope.

"The female was laying on her stomach, attempting to crawl out of the bathroom area, gasping for breath," city police Const. Gail Chambers testified on Tuesday, recounting what happened after she arrived at the home on Panorama Hills N.W. on Nov. 27, 2009.

"Although in and out of consciousness, whenever she was conscious she was distraught. I tried to calm her down, loosen off the clothing from around her neck and open her airway. It was quite clear she was struggling to breathe. She blacked out and at one point, I actually thought she was going to die."

James Bing Jun Louie, 45, is on trial for two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of son Jason, 13, and daughter Jane, 9, and one count of attempted murder of his estranged wife Ying Louie.

Chambers said she quickly saw when she arrived there was a yellow rope around the victim's neck, which she removed and handed to her partner, Const. Anne Marie richard.

Chambers told co-Crown prosecutor Matthew Hinshaw she then knelt down beside Ying Louie and attempted to administer first aid.

Chambers said she assisted the woman for about 15 minutes before paramedics arrived. She then went with the ambulance to hospital.

The officer said the woman asked her, "why did he do it," and "he promised he wouldn't do it."

She said Ying picked up two pairs of her children's shoes before she left the home with paramedics.

The woman continued to cling to the shoes, the officer said, when they took her for an X-Ray.

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Related: * Father of slain kids said 'he'd never do this' Mom's words open trial into 2009 murders
. . . . . . .* A mother's nightmare: Terror that came true

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Father of slain kids said 'he'd never do this'
Mom's words open trial into 2009 murders
March 3, 2011

He promised "he would never do this."

Saved from being strangled by her estranged husband, a rope still around her neck, Ying Louie repeated those words as two officers, guns drawn, burst into the northwest home where they found two children dead.

The chilling testimony Monday opened the trial of James Bing Jun Louie, who is charged with first-degree murder in the November 2009 deaths of his son and daughter. He is also charged with the attempted murder of his wife in the couple's Panorama Hills home.

Read more

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Louie trial testimony: Both children died of asphyxiation
Father charged with murder
March 3, 2011

James Louie asphyxiated both his children, but investigators were never able to determine the precise method he used to kill his daughter Jane.

Autopsy findings indicated that Louie used a rope to kill his son Jason, 13, who was found dead on a basement couch when police responded to a 911 call at the family's home on Nov. 27, 2009.

Dr. Anny Sauvageau, a forensic pathologist, testified Wednesday that marks found on Jason's neck led her to that conclusion.

"The type of ligature is very consistent with the typical twisted pattern nylon rope," said Sauvageau.

Moments after police officers discovered Jason's body, they heard a woman's screams coming from the upper floor of the home.

After kicking open a locked bedroom door, the officers confronted Louie as he tried to strangle his estranged wife, Ying, with a rope.

After one officer pulled Louie off his wife and handcuffed him, police searched the home and found Jane's body in a bedroom across the hall.

Autopsy findings indicated that Jane, 9, like Jason, had been asphyxiated, but Sauvageau said there were no signs of how it was done.

Sauvageau said she could only offer two theories about how Jane was killed.

"One hypothesis would be smothering -putting something to obstruct the nose and mouth and obstructing the passage of air," she said.

Another possibility was Louie used a ligature, however, no marks were found on Jane's neck.

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Wife describes mental torment
March 5, 2011

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Louie, who remained a stay-at-home father and had a non-existent social life, according to Tang, continued to try to patch things up and became very clingy, even after discovering a romantic e-mail exchange between Tang and another man in August 2009 -- one month after she expressed her intention to separate.

She told O'Brien that Louie was sad and angry, but said he continued to love her.

"After he challenged me with those emails, he tried to be nice."

Tang, a professional engineer, said she and her husband had explosive tempers, although it was Louie who was almost always the instigator.

She had rented a nearby home to make things easier on the children, who remained at the matrimonial home with their father. The weekend the children were killed was to be the first time both stayed with their mother.

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Excerpts: James Louie's diary
March 7, 2011

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Oct. 13
Every night, I could not sleep, especially during the 2nd part of the night. It is really a long night. But I have no peoples to talk to, to speak out words from my heart. JANE AND JASON sleep very well. They are children, children of no worries. I do have huge stress. I love my CHILDREN (JASON AND JANE) very much. For them, I will do whatever I can to work out ALL THE THINGS FOR THEM. But sometimes, I don’t want them to leave me. I feel that I am lonely. Sometimes, I don’t know how to do. My emotion is sometimes good, sometimes bad.

During the bad time, my whole body is very hot and that my heart seemed to be on fire, burning? For this, I really wish to have people at

this moment to listen to my feeling, and to give me some feedback.

Sometimes, I don’t know until when I can tolerate myself. Really there is unspeakable of this type of hard feeling and unbearable feeling.

One has to sort things for oneself. However, with two kids, it is even more difficult. Leaving them, sometimes, I reach the bottom of the valley, don’t know how much low still down there.
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Louie referred to psychiatrist before killings
Treated for stress, insomnia days before murders
March 8, 2011

James Bing Jun Louie was treated for stress and insomnia related to the impending breakup of his marriage just days before he killed his two children and attempted to kill his wife, his family doctor testified on Monday.

Dr. John Poon, however, said when he treated Louie on Nov. 23, 2009, and referred him to a psychiatrist, he was otherwise normal.

Poon, who noted he also saw Louie on Aug. 27 -shortly after his separation occurred -said the patient was not disoriented, confused or out of touch with reality and he did not notice anything strange about his behaviour.

He also did not consider the Nov. 23 visit to be an emergency and felt Louie was competent to drive, despite his sleep problems and stress.

"The patient had child custody issues, cannot concentrate and cannot work," Poon told defence lawyer Noel O'Brien. "He had headaches, secondary to stress. I supported counselling for stress reduction and Tylenol for headaches."

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Man who strangled children suffered from mental disorder: expert
Forensic psychiatrist testifies James Louie not criminally responsible
March 8, 2011

A father who strangled both of his children and attempted to do the same to his wife was suffering from a mental disorder at the time, a forensic psychiatrist testified on Tuesday.

Dr. Liya Xie said she made her conclusion on Feb. 4, 2010, after assessing James Bing Jun Louie for 60 days at the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatric Centre.

"My opinion is Mr. James Louie qualifies for NCR (not criminally responsible) defence to be considered, because of a mental disorder," Xie told defence lawyer Noel O'Brien.

To not be legally responsible, Xie told court, a person must not appreciate the nature and quality of their actions or understand the consequences.

Court has heard Louie, 45, was depressed for a few months over the breakup of his marriage, before he killed his son Jason, 13, and daughter Jane, 9, at their Panorama Hills N.W. home on Nov. 27, 2009.

He also was in the midst of choking his wife Ying Tang when police burst into the home in answer to her 911 call and saved her from the same fate as her children.

Read more
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Child killer called sister after arrest

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March 19, 2011 Mental state key to ruling in kids' deaths Father's trial a battle between medical experts

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Maximum prison term urged for child killer
No parole for at least 25 years, prosecutor urges
May 5, 2011

James Bing Jun Louie should go to prison for life with no chance of parole for the maximum 25 years

for brutally killing his two children and trying to kill his estranged wife, Crown prosecutor Bev Bauer argued Wednesday.

Bauer said it was only because it could not be determined which child -Jason, 13, or Jane, 9 -was killed first at the family home on Nov. 27, 2009, that it was not a case of first-degree murder.

She called it a "brutal, callous offence" in the context of a marriage breakdown in which very vulnerable members of society were slain.

"He killed one, then the other child -one after another," Bauer told Court of Queen's Bench Justice Earl Wilson.

"They were in trust of their father. One of the most trusted relationships is between a parent and a child. Contrast that with the act of killing the children, who were dependent on him, trusted him and were unarmed. It was cowardly and callous and the children did nothing to cause this act."

Both children were asphyxiated, court heard. Jason was strangled with a two-metre-long yellow rope, his sister likely suffocated with a pillow.

Hours later Louie tried to kill Ying Tang, his estranged wife, with the same rope he used on their son.

Defence lawyer Noel O'Brien, whose bid to have Louie declared not criminally responsible because of a mental disorder was rejected by Wilson, nevertheless said mental illness was a contributing factor.

He said his client was a loving and devoted father who was a stay-athome dad the last few years, and there was no history of violence or abuse.

The event, O'Brien said, was totally out of character for Louie.

"It was evident when James Louie took the lives of his children in November 2009 that the type of character he presented in years before was entirely inconsistent," argued O'Brien, who is seeking parole ineligibility for Louie of 14 to 15 years on the automatic life sentence. "Mental illness was a major factor.

"The person his family had known for many years was not the same person involved in this. The nature of the offence was horrific and tragic, with consequences to so many people."

Bauer is also seeking a concurrent life sentence for the attempted murder of Tang, the children's mother, who had recently moved out of the northwest Calgary home.

O'Brien argued for 10 years concurrent time to the life sentence, which he said should be served in a psychiatric facility.

Tang told court in her victim impact statement that Louie's convictions last month brought some order and sense of justice to her life, but it will never bring her children back.

She said since her children were "brutally and cold-bloodedly murdered by their biological father," she has lost her bright outlook on life and her focus on work and her goal to achieve financial prosperity.

"It was an unspeakable and excru-ciatingly painful experience that I wish no loving parent should ever endure," she said.

"No parent should ever experience this trauma I'm fighting every day. Children are innocent. They are our angels and hopes. Children are not our possessions. They should be loved and protected unconditionally in the first place at all costs. We are trusted guardians who should love them, cherish them, and help them so they can grow and explore into their future and flourish. It is barbaric to rob them of their lives and future."

Louie, who showed virtually no emotion throughout the trial and sentencing submissions, finally shed a tear as he spoke to court when given a chance to do so by the judge.

"This has happened. I have affected everybody," Louie said through an interpreter. "I don't know how to put anything else in words. I can't speak now."

Sentencing was adjourned until May 17.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Maximum+prison+term+urged+child+killer/4729753/story.html

James Louie sentenced to life for killing children
May 17, 2011


James Louie has been sentenced Tuesday to life in prison with no chance of parole for 18 years for the killing of his children Jason, 13, and Jane, 9.

A Calgary father who brutally killed his two children then tried to strangle his estranged wife will go to prison for life, with no chance of parole for 18 years.

In imposing the sentence on James Bing Jun Louie on Tuesday, Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Earl Wilson recalled how the children — Jason, 13, and Jane, 9 — must have been terrified in the moments leading up to their deaths.

“These children were killed in their own house, the one place in the world where children should feel safe,” Wilson said. “I’m satisfied both children must have realized what was occurring and wondering why their father was doing what he did.

“Jason was killed in his own bed. He said to his dad, ‘Why are you doing this?’ The only saving grace was this murder must have been brief.”

Wilson said even though Louie, 44, had time to reflect after the first murder, he still went to another part of the house to kill the other child.

“Neither time nor distance prevented him from his chosen path,” added Wilson, who last month convicted Louie of two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of the children and attempted murder of his wife Ying Tang in their northwest Calgary home on Nov. 27, 2009.

The judge also gave Louie a concurrent life sentence for almost killing Tang, whom he said has suffered the most. He also noted if not for quick-acting police officers, her husband would have completely obliterated the family.

“This case is about control, about a man who in effect saw his family leaving him and they would have left him alone,” said Wilson. “He’s a man whose life was only to raise his children. He had nothing outside the family.”

Defence lawyer Noel O’Brien, who had unsuccessfully argued to have his client found not criminally responsible because of a mental disorder, said he was content with the sentence under the circumstances.

“I think the sentence was fair. I’m happy he will spend time in a psychiatric facility,” said O’Brien, who had argued for a life sentence with no parole for 14 to 15 years.

“We would have been happy to get a sentence of around 15 years (parole ineligibility), but 18 is certainly fair. I would not recommend an appeal on that one.”

O’Brien, however, said despite the judge’s decision on the convictions, his client’s “mental state is not good.”

“Once he settles into the facility, they will work with him. Prison is not good for rehabilitation for someone with a mental problem.

“Hopefully he will get help in a mental facility. I anticipate he’ll be assessed soon, within 90 days, and that he’ll go to Saskatoon (Regional Psychiatric Centre). People with Corrections Canada take care of that.”

O’Brien also said he is considering an appeal on the second-degree murder convictions.

“We’ll look at the long term and the effect on his mental condition of having to do it again in a second trial,” the lawyer said. “I think there were some errors made (in the judgment), but whether that’s worth pursuing, I’ll decide in 30 days.”

Crown prosecutor Bev Bauer, who had sought the maximum sentence of life without parole for 25 years, declined to comment outside court.

She had argued at a sentencing hearing that it was a “brutal, callous offence” in the context of a marriage breakdown in which very vulnerable members of society were slain.

“He killed one, then the other child — one after another,” Bauer told Wilson last month.

“They were in trust of their father. One of the most trusted relationships is between a parent and a child. Contrast that with the act of killing the children, who were dependent on him, trusted him and were unarmed. It was cowardly and callous and the children did nothing to cause this act.”

Both children were asphyxiated by their father. Jason was strangled with a two-metre-long rope, his sister likely suffocated with a pillow. Hours later, Louie tried to kill Tang, his estranged wife, with the same rope he used on their son.

Tang was in court for the sentencing, but left the building without making any comment.

She told court in her victim impact statement last time that Louie’s convictions last month brought some order and sense of justice to her life, but it will never bring her children back.

She said since her children were “brutally and cold-bloodedly murdered by their biological father,” she has lost her bright outlook on life, her focus on work and her goal to achieve financial prosperity.

“It was an unspeakable and excruciatingly painful experience that I wish no loving parent should ever endure,” she said. “No parent should ever experience this trauma I’m fighting every day. Children are innocent. They are our angels and hopes. Children are not our possessions. They should be loved and protected unconditionally in the first place at all costs.”

Louie, who never showed much emotion throughout the trial and sentencing process, shed a tear as he spoke to court when previously given a chance to do so by the judge.

“This has happened. I have affected everybody,” Louie said through an interpreter. “I don’t know how to put anything else in words. I can’t speak now.”

Louie must provide a DNA sample and is prohibited from owning or possessing weapons for life.

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/James+Louie+sentenced+life+killing+children/4799070/story.html#ixzz1Mfctv0Do

Calgary dad who killed kids given 3 life sentences
May 17, 2011

A Calgary man was handed three concurrent life sentences on Tuesday for killing his two young children and trying to kill his estranged wife almost two years ago.

James Bing Jun Louie, 44, used a rope to strangle his son Jason, 13, and a pillow to smother his daughter Jane, 9, in November 2009.

When his wife Ying Tang arrived at the couple's former home in the city's northwest, Louie tried to strangle her too. Police burst into the house just in time to save the woman.

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Earl Wilson found Louie guilty last month of second-degree murder of the two children, and guilty of the attempted murder of Tang.

On Tuesday, the judge told Louie he won't be eligible for parole for 18 years.

Wilson also said he will recommend that a portion of Louie's sentences be served in a psychiatric facility.

The Crown had argued that Louie should serve the entire 25 years behind bars, but Wilson said there are mitigating factors, including the fact Louie has shown remorse and didn't have a violent past.

Louie, who heard the proceedings through a Cantonese interpreter, did not show any emotion.

Tang was also present for the sentencing.

During the trial court heard that Louie was depressed about his separation from his wife and the couple's pending divorce.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2011/05/17/calgary-louie-sentence-father.html

Killer dad to serve 18 years

By Kevin Martin,Calgary Sun

First posted: Tuesday, May 17, 2011 5:07:53 EDT PM

Jason Louie, 13, and his sister Jane were murdered by
their dad just hours before they were to move out with their mother.
(QMI Agency Files)


CALGARY - James Louie will spend a minimum of 18 years behind bars for murdering his two children just hours before they were to move out with their mother.

The Calgary dad showed no emotion Tuesday as Judge Earl Wilson rejected the Crown's call for Louie to serve the maximum term without parole eligibility — 25 years — for second-degree murder.

Crown prosecutor Bev Bauer argued the murders of Jason, 13, and Jane, 9, warranted the harshest punishment.

Defence lawyer Noel O’Brien had suggested a period of parole ineligibility of 14 or 15 years.

Louie murdered his children on Nov. 26, 2009, in the family’s home.

The murders occurred after Louie’s marriage to the children’s mother, Ying Tang, had broken down and she moved out.

Louie strangled Jason with a rope in the basement of the home and smothered Jane with a pillow as she slept in her bed upstairs.

Tang, who was working that day, made repeated calls to the house because she was concerned about the children’s welfare. She arrived in the evening after travelling through a blizzard.

Moments after she found Jane’s lifeless body, Louie attacked Tang and attempted to strangle her with the same rope he used to kill their son.

Wilson handed Louie a mandatory life term for the two killings, along with a concurrent life sentence for attempting to murder his estranged wife.

This sentence is far too light. Guess the judge thinks it's OK as long as it was his own children he cold bloodily murdered.