risk assessment

Paroled Killer Receives Life Sentence for New Murder

Brian Whitelock, released from prison after serving 18 years for a double murder, was given a whole-life sentence for the brutal murder of his neighbor, Wendy Buckney. Despite concerns from Buckney’s family, she had employed Whitelock for odd jobs, believing he deserved a second chance. The Parole Board’s decision to release Whitelock, based on a low-risk assessment, was deemed flawed in light of the subsequent murder, which involved torture and sexual assault. A serious further offence review is now underway.

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College student slips on Yosemite’s Half Dome cables, falls to her death

I can’t imagine the heartbreak and pure horror that must have consumed Grace’s father in those moments on the cables of Half Dome. As a parent, the mere thought of enduring such a tragedy is enough to bring tears to my eyes. The image of him reaching out to her, trying to grab hold, but losing her to the elements is truly gut-wrenching. The helplessness and desperation he must have felt as he called out to her, hoping beyond hope that she could somehow hear him, is something that will linger in my mind for a long time to come.

Reading about how the weather turned for the worse, the rain began to fall, and Grace’s hiking boots offered no traction on the slippery granite rock, leading to her tragic fall, is a stark reminder of the dangers of nature.… Continue reading