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The 'Ken and Barbie' Killers Who Hunted Teens in Ontario

A 1993 plea deal for Karla Homolka still shapes how Canadians judge the case.

Overview

  • New coverage Friday revisits Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka’s crimes and the fallout that still lingers.
  • In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Bernardo assaulted at least 14 women in Toronto, earning the nickname the Scarborough Rapist.
  • The violence escalated to murder with Tammy Homolka in 1990, Leslie Mahaffy in June 1991, and Kristen French in April 1992.
  • DNA evidence tied Bernardo to the rapes in early 1993, leading to his arrest, a 1995 life sentence, and a dangerous offender designation that makes release unlikely.
  • Homolka’s 1993 manslaughter plea for a 12‑year term faced renewed outrage after tapes showed her active role, and her 2017 volunteering at a Montreal school stirred fresh concern.