On October 14, 2006 Joshua Hunt age 16 was murdered by a 17 year old two blocks from his home in Edmonton, Alberta Canada at his friends’ home by his friends’ older brother. He was stabbed multiple times with a butcher knife
and died due to his injuries. Shortly after Joshua was murdered the media
reported the accused was friends of the boys that had previously jumped and beat Joshua up on Mother’s day 2006. It was reported that Joshua was a great kid he loved life and loved everyone. At his funeral on October 20, 2006 there were over 700 people that attended his funeral: friends from school, hockey, and family. Many of them told his family after he died that Joshua touched their lives in many positive ways due to his personality.
The 17 year old that stabbed him was charged with second degree murder and two assaults with a weapon. It was reported that this 17 year old had a lengthy criminal record. He was detained in the Edmonton Youth Correctional Centre for 30 days until he was released under section 31 to his grandfather (who was a retired police officer with the Edmonton Police Service), even after the judge denied the accused bail due to public safety concerns.
The public was appalled that he could kill someone and just be released on
section 31 with just conditions. Joshua’s family and supporters did some
research on the Youth Criminal Justice Act to find out that the laws in Canada, when it comes to youth crime its way too lenient plus they also soon learned that judges were way too lenient on youth. So they started rallies, petitions and received a lot of media coverage in Edmonton with a tremendous amount of support. They sent in over 40,000 signed petitions over a course of 2 months to the federal and provincial government. Nothing changed. To this day nothing has changed and they have heard nothing from either government.
It was reported that the Hunt family, friends and supporters attended court on many occasions leading up to the trial over a period of 2 years and 2 months and soon learned that the killer and his family had no remorse what so ever, in fact they went out of their way to show that they had no remorse. They would make sick comments when they would walk by them, grinning and make hand gestures. It is alleged that grandfather of the accused elbowed Joshua Hunt’s father as he was walking into the courtroom.
The father of the killer went up to some of the victim’s family trying to intimidate them. Apparently the Hunt family filed a complaint with the police and it was reported nothing happened.
Over the course of two years while waiting for the trial it is alleged that the accused and his grandfather continued to breach the section 31 court conditions. They were even caught on video tape with dates and times that a PI delivered to the Edmonton Police Service showing that they were breaching the section 31 conditions on a number of occasions. It was reported that nothing was done. On December 25, 2007 (Christmas Night) it is alleged that the accused went over to the Hunt’s residents with his brother and was taunting Joshua’s younger brother and his cousin outside their residents.
It was reported that there were a number of witnesses that witnessed this.
Again the police were called. It is alleged the police arrested him but not before the grandfather of the killer pushed the lady police officer down while she attempted to arrest the accused. It was reported that the accused spent 27 hours in jail before he was released with a no cash bail. Even though the lady police officer reported she was pushed down by the Grandfather he was not charged with assaulting a police officer. This lady police officer also noted that the grandfather of the accused was yelling out to her and her partner things like, “You don’t know who I know in the
Edmonton Police Service”. One month later the breach of condition charges
on the accused were dropped.
A few months later the preliminary hearing was scheduled and it was reported that both Joshua’s parents were not permitted to attend. However Joshua’s parents were permitted to attend the judge’s decision on the last day of the preliminary hearing. During the judge’s decision she stated among many things that the killer acted reckless and she ordered the homicide to go to trial. After many delays by the defense lawyer the trial was finally set down for November 24, 2008 and scheduled to last 3 to 4 weeks.
It is alleged that approximately four days before the trial started the defense lawyer tried to change the trial from judge and jury to judge alone;
therefore, a hearing with the trial judge was quickly scheduled. Family
members and friends of Joshua Hunt attended because they were informed that it was open to the public to watch. When they entered the courtroom they soon learned that it was the trial judge that was making the decision if the
trial would go forward with judge and jury or judge alone. The defense
lawyer asked the judge to close the court and everyone other than the judge; defense lawyer and crown were all informed that they had to leave including all the media. The media was upset because according to them they should have been informed prior to this time that the defense lawyer wanted the process of the hearing in camera (which means closed court). The media informed the Hunt family and friends that if they would have known prior to this date they could have had the opportunity to object to the in camera
closed court process. Due to the fact they were not informed prior to this
they were unable to do this especially because the trial was only four days away. The hearing went ahead anyway and the trial judge decided to allow judge only. The trial was set down to start on November 24, 2008 (only four days later) at the Edmonton Law Courts Building on the Court of Queen’s Bench side.
The trial started and everyone that attended soon learned from the witnesses what took place the night Joshua Hunt was murdered. It was alleged that the killer’s younger brother invited about 8 friends over to his house while his Mom was home for a get together. During this get together there was alcohol. At approx 2 am the killer, the older brother, came home (after driving drunk and crashing his friends car) he accused the boys at this get together that someone was in his bedroom and started to get aggressive with some younger boys. He was pushing them around throwing some of them on the pool table. Meanwhile Joshua Hunt was passed out on the floor on a mattress
from drinking too much alcohol. When the accused got aggressive with the
boys there was one boy there that pulled out a knife and both the killer and this other boy went at it. The accused was on top of him hitting him and then got up and went up stairs locked everyone in the basement and proceeded to get a butcher knife that he pulled out of a lower cupboard behind pots and pans in a knife block.
The accused mother called 911 the 911 recording was played in court. The mother stated to the 911 operator: “I have a 17 year old going crazy here (which was her son the accused)”. You could hear the accused saying I am going to kill these mother f-ckers before he killed Josh. You could also
hear the 911 operator telling them to let them out and he wouldn’t. (After
Joshua was stabbed you could also hear the brother of the accused panicked voice state to the 911 operator “My brother took a knife and went crazy on this guy “). Prior to this a few of the kids climbed out the very small basement window and came around the front of the house to try and attempt to get the others out including Joshua . The killer then chased them out the front of the house and he was spotted by neighbors chasing a young boy around a truck in his driveway with the butcher knife in his hand swinging the knife at him. Meantime Joshua kicked through the locked basement door to get out and headed with one girl for the front door for their shoes.
Joshua couldn’t find his shoes this is when the accused came back into the house through the front door from chasing the other young boy around the truck with the butcher knife. The accused then went crazy on Joshua with the knife stabbing him 3 to 4 times (at this point you could hear the mother of the killer on the 911 recording saying a number of times OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD). Joshua took 4 to 5 steps back and fell on a couch and died.
Before the police arrived it was reported in court that the accused and his family tried to clean up and change their clothing. Once the police arrived the accused tried to run but the police caught him and brought him back into the house. While EMS was working on Joshua the accused was aggressive with the police to the point he was pinned against the wall. EMS reported hearing the accused say “I hope he’s dead or I will kill him again”. The police arrested him and placed him in a police car to transport him downtown to police headquarters Edmonton. During the 17 minute drive the accused was being very lippy and stating things to the police like, ” I can get off anything you wait and see I will be out in no time my grandfather has pull he is a retired police officer you might know him”. My dad has lots of
money and we can hire a top notch lawyer”. There were other comments from
him regarding stabbing Joshua that should have been able to be heard in the trial. These comments and statements were not permitted past the preliminary hearing to the trial because it was reported he was under age and the police did not have a parent with him in the police car when he made these comments even though they read him his rights in the house in front of his mother before they arrested him. Therefore, the defense lawyer was able to have these comments and statements thrown out of court and they were never brought up at the trial.
It was reported during the trial in front of a very packed courtroom the accused would fall asleep and would laugh in court like it was no big deal.
It was truly shocking to say the least. On the day of the verdict it was reported that the accused was with his family and lawyer and right up until the judge entered the courtroom he was laughing like nothing was wrong like it was no big deal. The judge then read out his decision and at complete amazement to everyone he acquitted him on all 3 charges 2nd degree murder and two assaults with a weapon. The accused was free to go. The judge said it could have been self-defense or Joshua could have run into the butcher knife. It was reported that the judge discredited every witness (other than the mother of the accused) including the EMS and the police. Everyone was in complete shock and could not believe it after hearing all the incriminating evidence against the accused. The Crown had 30 days to appeal and decided not to. The accused was completely free to go and got away with
murdering a young 16 year old defenseless boy. It was reported by a very
large number of people that the court’s decision made no sense what so ever.
It doesn’t end here it is alleged a few days after the accused was acquitted the accused cut Joshua’s mother off with his dads SUV while she was driving to the store. He then followed Joshua’s father a couple of times while he was driving his wife’s car thinking it was the mother of Joshua driving.
He then parked outside the Hunt’s residents at 1:30 am one morning playing loud music. He soon bought a new car and would drive by the Hunt’s residents everyday at least once per day for months laughing at them and giving them the finger. At one point he drove past the Hunt’s residents while Joshua’s father was raking the lawn and gave him a gun gesture and said “your dead bitch”. His father pulled up in his SUV one afternoon as Joshua’s younger brother and his friend were walking home from the bus stop and taunting them by saying “come over to our house so we can kill you too”
he then flicked his cigarette towards them and drove off. The Hunt’s reported all these incidents to the police but again nothing was done and nothing was done to stop it. (The Hunt family kept a narrative with all dates and times that the police also have with many incidents).
The Hunt family applied for a peace bond through the courts in Edmonton but the accused and his family objected to it so it was set down for a trial which was at least two months away for a judge to decide if a peace bond was necessary. One week later on May 22, 2009 it is alleged the accused drove to the Hunt’s residents again while Joshua’s younger brother and two of his friends were playing street hockey. The ball went over the net so while Robbie and his friends were in the middle of the road the accused sped up and tried to run them over with his car. This incident it currently before the courts because there have been charges laid against both families.
Therefore once the court process is over the information will be available to the public.
It is reported that after the trial the Hunt family had to argue with the Crown to get Joshua’s belongings back even though the trial judge stated that they could have them back. They were told by the Crown it was because the accused wanted his butcher knife back so it was holding things up. (To this date the Hunt’s are not sure if the accused did receive his butcher
knife from the courts). It took 5 months after the trial for the Hunt’s to
get Joshua’s belongings back. The day they went to pick them up at the police warehouse they came home and very reluctantly opened the evidence bags to see his clothing. When looking at the clothing they were more than amazed to discover that Josh wasn’t stabbed once or twice as explained in the trial but his clothing clearly showed he was stabbed 3 to 4 times.
Next to each stab mark there were blood stains in 3 different places on his clothing with 4 different stab marks. He was stabbed in his groin area, stomach, right side by his kidney and through his heart. It looked clearly like someone just went crazy on him just like the brother of the accused stated on the 911 tapes the night Joshua was murdered (to view pictures of his clothing he was wearing the night he was
murdered please go to www.joshhunt.info and you can view them on the photo
gallery).
They could not believe the Crown did not show this clothing during the trial as evidence. The next day they contacted the Crowns office in Edmonton to ask why they didn’t show his clothing as evidence during the trial (because the clothing clearly shows this was not self defense or an accident). The Crowns office replied not to contact the Crown anymore and this case is now closed.
One must ask how this could happen in Canada. And how could this happen to this family and this young boy? It is truly more than disgusting how victims are treated in our so called justice system! The Hunt family will never be the same and for this accused and his father to keep taunting them and harming them is more than a crime!
One final note: Should this be pushed under the rug and put to the way side or should something be done? What can and what should be done about this tragic injustice?
If you have any comments please feel free to contact the Hunt’s at e-mail
address: garyh1@telus.net
Comments from the Hunt family. When Joshua was murdered he was stolen
from us in such a violent hennas way. Our lives will never be the same. We have no choice but to struggle through the pain each and every day. You never get over it you just learn to struggle through it and have to learn to live with it”. “Our lives will never be the same” The Hunt’s.
As parents we lost the blessing of being able to see our son grow up, graduate, enter into a career, fall in love, become a husband and a father
as well as an uncle. It is also very painful to say the least watching our
other two children live and try and deal with the tragic loss of their brother. Our system in our country has to change “it has failed everyone”.
Our current system does not make any sense and does not protect the victims and good people of this country.