2020 in review: The Spec crime reporter’s top stories
The year 2020 has been a tumultuous one for policing, crime and the justice system in Hamilton.
This includes a record high number of homicides, the continued trend of more than 40 shootings a year, trials delayed amid COVID-19 pandemic and wide-scale protests demanding police reform.
Nicole O'Reilly has covered crime and justice as a reporter for The Spectator for 11 years. Here are 10 of her top stories of the year:
1) In February, the regional supervising coroner announced a rare discretionary inquest into the death of Devon Freeman, a Hamilton teen whose body was not discovered for more than six months after being reported missing, despite being on the very grounds of the group home he had been last seen. The Spectator had covered Freeman's case since he was first reported missing, speaking with his grandmother, Pam Freeman, who continues to fight to uncover the truth about her grandson.
2) Gladys Gladie" Little, a retired nurse, mom and grandmother, was the type of woman to help anyone who might ask. When a stranger came to her apartment door May 16, the 79-year-old was randomly and viciously murdered. A 26-year-old, Larissa Shingebis, who police say was captured on surveillance video, is charged with first-degree murder.
3) Protests around the world and in Hamilton have been demanding to defund the police. The movement is not a new one, but it saw more mainstream support in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. The Spectator broke down the issue, talking to local advocates, police and examining the laws that govern policing here.
4) The murder of Hamilton Mob boss Pat Musitano in a Burlington parking lot in July was one of the most read stories on The Spectator. His death, amid an ongoing Mob war, decimated the traditional organized crime family. But it doesn't mean the end of ongoing Mob violence.
5) On July 31, the City of Hamilton announced it was not renewing the the Budget Inn's business licence, citing concerns about public safety about the notorious motel. The owner appeal the decision and the case remains pending before Hamilton's Licensing Tribunal, which has not heard cases amid the pandemic. The Spectator spoke with tenants, police and others about the problematic motel.
6) Human traffickers frequently prey on vulnerable girls and women, isolating them from family and friends and manipulating them. It is an insidious crime that knows no border, and is prevalent in hotels and motels across the region. One survivor, a Burlington woman who went from being a wife and mother, to being homeless, to being trafficked, shared her story.
7) Hamilton's Jessica Larson was an experienced solo traveller when she landed in Singapore in February 2019. Her first night there she met a man, who at first seemed like a nice guy. She soon agreed to travel with him and found herself trapped with an abusive man who controlled her every move. Larson shared her story of being held captive and how she escaped in Hamilton.
8) It has been a year since Jeff Johnson was gunned down outside his Hamilton Mountain home, by a killer or killers who knew his routine and had him under surveillance. The murder mirrored recent traditional organized crime homicides in the area, but police say there is nothing connecting the 39-year-old well-loved husband and father to crime. His death has been devesting for family and is a complete mystery to detectives. In December, his family and police pleaded for anyone with information to come forward.
9) It was a highly unusual press release: in November, Hamilton police released the picture of 70-year-old Sam, a vulnerable senior who had been abandoned at a shelter and whose identity was not known. The Hamilton police social navigator team took on his case and after more than a month were able to uncover his real identity - Sab Duanopbmmy - and are still working to find family and get him into suitable housing.
10) Project Links is one of the most horrific child sex abuse cases in Hamilton history. A young girl, sexually abused by her stepdad, recorded and advertised for others to join. It devastated and shocked the community and five people were convicted. But what happens after the court case ends? What supports are in place for victims and families? The Spectator spoke with the victim's aunt about her struggles and victim's advocates about what needs to change.
Nicole O'Reilly is a Hamilton-based reporter covering crime and justice for The Spectator. Reach her via email: noreilly@thespec.com