Niagara man who killed his wife able to launch ‘disturbing’ website from behind bars, court hears

When her father was sentenced to life in prison following the brutal stabbing death of her mother in 2014, Kim Gillespie thought she'd never have to hear from him again.

But George Fraser wouldn't be kept silent.

From his cell in a federal penitentiary, Fraser wrote a 162-page manuscript titled What happened to George and Judy."

It detailed the murder of his estranged wife and the grievances he harboured toward various individuals in his family and family friends," assistant Crown attorney Richard Monette said Wednesday in Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines.

The details of the manuscript were somewhat graphic and intimate and certainly troubling."

With the assistance of two women, Fraser was able to hire a website developer to create a website to share his manuscript.

The website went up in November 2020.

Also that month, with the assistance of one of the women, custom-made postcards featuring the website address arrived in the mailboxes of 11 individuals.

Among the recipients were his children's friends.

Following his conviction, he was under a court order not to have contact with a number of people, including his children.

The postcards were purposefully sent to those persons close to those people, in their immediate circle, to ensure the website would come to their attention," the Crown said.

And it did.

A friend, not wanting to upset Gillespie, reached out to her husband and told him about the disturbing website.

I have always been fearful that George would harm me, and the website has increased my fears and validated them," Gillespie said Wednesday.

The fact a convicted murderer, with assistance, was able to create a website, she said, was both shocking and scary."

The contents of the website are disturbing, and contain countless false, malicious and derogatory comments about myself, so Mr. Fraser can deflect blame for my mom's murder onto me."

Fraser, 79, appeared via video in St. Catharines courtroom on Wednesday to answer to charges of criminal harassment and failing to comply with a court order.

The charges were dropped after the offender agreed to enter into a peace bond for three years with the condition he have no contact with a number of people, including family members and the recipients of the post cards.

In the Crown's view, there was a reasonable prospect of conviction here, however, given the pressure on the courts with COVID, it would be inappropriate to spend days if not weeks of court time prosecuting Mr. Fraser when he's already serving a life sentence," Monette said.

Fraser was 72 when he was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 18 years.

Judy Fraser in the fall of 2013 had taken the courageous step to end her 47-year marriage and start a new life after suffering decades of mental and verbal abuse at the hands of her husband.

On Jan. 16, 2014, George Fraser was waiting at the parking lot of his wife's St. Catharines apartment complex.

When she arrived home, he walked up to her and stabbed her 18 times with a fishing knife.

He left the beloved mother and grandmother to die on the cold pavement, the knife embedded in her chest.

The day of her murder Judy had been at a counselling session meant to empower her throughout the separation process.

When she first moved into the building on St. Augustine Drive, she was careful to not let George know where she lived, but he was able to find her new address as it was listed on separation documents.

Both of Judy's daughters gave victim impact statements at their father's sentencing in 2015.

Gillespie spoke of the terror and abuse the family suffered over decades at the hands of their father.

I believe this crime was the accused's final act of control against my mom," she said.

She spoke of living in fear that her father would one day kill her.

Since this crime, I have lived in fear every day, knowing that if he ever gets out of prison, that would be my last day on earth."

Her sister Tracy Haley, who described their mother as a quiet, classy lady who loved her god, her family and her friends," addressed her father directly.

You will never again see my face, hear my voice, be able to hug me, hear my laughter or listen to my stories," she said.

After killing his wife, court was told, Fraser drove to his daughter's home.

After he committed the horrific crime, he made a point to show up at my home that evening and yell at me and to blame me for what he had just done," Gillespie told the court in her victim impact statement.

At the time, we did not know what had happened. I couldn't handle the verbal abuse so I left the room. The next thing I remember was my husband escorting George from our home and telling me to call 911 as he said the words, I think your dad just killed your mom.'"

Alison Langley is a St. Catharines-based reporter for the Niagara Falls Review. Reach her via email: alison.langley@niagaradailies.com