Eric Bradbury (murder victim)

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Eric Bradbury was a homicide victim murdered at the age of 44, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. On August 24, 1995 he was found in his N.E. Calgary home, with a broken kitchen knife still imbedded in his back. The savageness of the assault shocked the Calgary community.

[edit] Background

Originally from the east coast, Eric Bradbury was a partial paraplegic as a result of a 1989 car accident in a car driven by Eugene Lavoie. A subsequent lawsuit resulted in a settlement of $500,000 in the summer of 1994 with Lavoie’s insurance company. Lavoie contributed nothing towards the settlement.

On the afternoon of August 23, 1995, Eric Bradbury, 44, told four people that he was expecting an unwanted individual at his home. Bradbury asked Paul Leblanc in the presence of Calvin Kennedy if he had a gun because “Well, there are –– a person supposed to come over with a pit bull and I want it for the dog.” Leblanc had a .22 calibre rifle in his van which he gave to Bradbury with a box of shells.

In August 1995, Eugene Lavoie cracked up the car of his boss, Frank Dart, causing $2,000 damage. Lavoie knew about the settlement so on August 23, he dropped by Bradbury's residence to demand a loan to fix his boss' vehicle. Lavoie then threatened the victim with the dog.

At around 7:30 p.m. that evening, Stephen Greene and his friend came to visit the deceased. During the evening, Greene discussed the rifle Bradbury had in his home with him. Later on in the evening in the presence of Greene, Bradbury made a will and called his father in Newfoundland and asked his father to make sure he got a decent burial. Greene left shortly thereafter, at around 10.30 p.m. At 11 p.m., Bradbury spoke with Catherine Maloney, his cleaning lady, and said that he would have to end the phone call because he was in the middle of an argument with the Lavoie who was then standing on his lawn with a pit bull.

The argument ended after a brief period, and the two men began drinking. When Calvin Kennedy, the roommate of Eric Bradbury, and a friend, Martin Moore, arrived at midnight with alcohol for Bradbury, Lavoie and Bradbury were talking in the living room, with the dog sleeping and the rifle leaning up against the wall. Calvin Kennedy, who knew about the threat from earlier, said nothing to Lavoie.

At trial, Martin Moore testified that he wrapped the rifle in a garbage bag and snuck it out of the house, leaving at 12:46 a.m., according to cab company records. Moore stated that he took the gun to ensure that no one would get hurt.

Just after 1:00 a.m., Lavoie returned from using the washroom. Upon his realization that the rifle and Moore had left, Lavoie violently attacked Calvin Kennedy, demanding the return of the weapon. Kennedy was slammed up against the wall, and Lavoie with his cowboy boots kicked Kenney so brutally in the groin, that Kennedy’s scrotum was split. Lavoie then threw Kennedy out of the house. Neighbours of Bradbury watched as Kennedy left for a nearby Mac’s store to call for medical help. Minutes later, those same witnesses watched Eugene Lavoie get in his car and go around the block several times searching for Kennedy. Lavoie located Kennedy at the conveniece store, attempting to call for help. Lavoie proceeded to further attack Kennedy using the telephone receiver as a weapon. When police arrived, they transported Kennedy to a local hospital were he remained the night. Kennedy testified at trial that he did not tell police about the situation at Bradbury's home for fear that illegal narcotics would be found. The subsequant police investigation found Kennedy's blood and Lavoie's fingerprints all over the telephone booth.

One neighbour observed Lavoie returning to the deceased’s home, get out of the Volvo and go inside, carrying something shiny by his side. Another neighbour witnessed Lavoie putting the same object into his pocket prior to entering the home of Eric Bradbury.

On August 24, at approximately 3:30 a.m., Lavoie telephoned Frank Dart, who was in Toronto. Lavoie, who was intoxicated at the time, told Frank Dart that he had “lost his cool.” Lavoie contacted Dart a second time the next evening, where he admitted a second time, this time while sober, that he had knifed someone to death. ^[1]

Friends of Bradbury became concerned about his well-being on August 24, 1995. Paul Leblanc broke into Bradbury’s residence and found him lying face down in the living room. Eugene Lavoie was arrested on August 24, 1995, mere hours after the body of Bradbury was found.

It was determined that Eric Bradbury was stabbed repeatedly in the front, side and neck as he sat on his couch. Bradbury was then thrown on the floor and stabbed another 30 times in his back, with the assault ending only when the blade of the knife broke off the handle.

At trial, Eugene Lavoie admitted to the aggravated assault on Calvin Kennedy, but attempted to claim that he (Lavoie) had discovered the body hours afterwards, after he dropped off his friends dog. Lavoie claimed that Bradbury had been worried about a $200,000 drug deal that was occurring that evening. It was revealed that Lavoie blamed Bradbury for his financial problems and failed marriage.

Lavoie also attempted to claim at trial, that he had returned to Bradbury's residence in the morning of August 24, 1995 where he then discovered the body. However, when Lavoie was interviewed by police, he stated that he had left Bradbury, and had returned to his home at 11:00 p.m. the previous evening. He had made no mention to the police of finding Bradbury's body during the initial police interview.

However, DNA evidence - a bandage with Lavoie’s DNA - was found on top of Eric Bradbury’s remains, and that tied Lavoie to the murder.

Even more damaging, was the evidence from Bob Bowie, Lavoie’s employer, who testified at trial that the next day at work, prior to the discovery of the body by Mr. Leblanc, Lavoie repeated five to ten times, "I did someone in last night," and "I did him 25 or 30 times" while making a stabbing motion with his hand.

It took the jury approximately 18 hours of deliberations over three days to convict Lavoie, a 34-year-old part-time furniture mover, of second degree murder in the stabbing of Eric Bradbury.

Eugene Lavoie, who had five previous criminal convictions, was also convicted of aggravated assault for the attack on Calvin Kennedy. During sentencing the court deemed it necessary to increase the parole eligibility for Eugene Kenneth Lavoie, to 14 years from the minimum of 10 years. The violence, brutality and uncontrolled rage in this case established Lavoie as a danger to the public, was stated by the sentencing judge as the sentence was laid down. Lavoie received a mandatory life term of 25 years. Lavoie is currently out on parole.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ R. v. Lavoie, 2000 ABCA 318 (CanLII) Retrieved on 2008-01-06

[edit] References

• Sean Gordon and Monte Stewart (1995, August 26). Arrest made in Rundle murder :[Final Edition]. Calgary Herald,p. B.3. Retrieved January 16, 2008, from Canadian Newsstand Core database. (Document ID: 20070837).
• Bob Beaty, Calgary Herald (1996, October 16). Defence says victim killed by drug dealer :[FINAL Edition]. Calgary Herald,p. B.3. Retrieved January 16, 2008, from Canadian Newsstand Core database. (Document ID: 22028457).
• Calgary Herald (1996, October 17). Jury still out in stabbing murder trial :[FINAL Edition]. Calgary Herald,p. B.4. Retrieved January 16, 2008, from Canadian Newsstand Core database. (Document ID: 22027741).
• Bob Beaty, Calgary Herald (1996, October 18). Stabber gets life term :[FINAL Edition]. Calgary Herald,p. B.4. Retrieved January 16, 2008, from Canadian Newsstand Core database. (Document ID: 22028735).
• A paraplegic is stabbed 48 times: a Calgarian murders the man he'd already maimed in a car accident (Eugene Lavoie in the murder of Eric Bradbury). (1996, October). Western Report: [11(41)], 11(40), 25. Retrieved January 16, 2008, from CBCA Current Events database. (Document ID: 435576271).
• Daryl Slade, Calgary Herald (1996, November 16). Life for killing paraplegic :[FINAL Edition]. Calgary Herald,p. B.3. Retrieved January 16, 2008, from Canadian Newsstand Core database. (Document ID: 22037469).
• Daryl Slade, Calgary Herald (2000, December 7). Appeal dismissed in vicious stabbing :[Final Edition]. Calgary Herald,p. B3. Retrieved January 16, 2008, from Canadian Newsstand Core database. (Document ID: 206887011).
• Minimum 14 years for `brutal' murder of paraplegic :[FINAL Edition]. (1996, November 17). Edmonton Journal,p. B.7. Retrieved January 16, 2008, from Canadian Newsstand Core database. (Document ID: 22094914).