Police put aside emotion when tracking child killers

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This article was published 08/06/2022 (930 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg police rarely investigate the slaying of a child, but officers have to put aside emotion as they strive to find justice for the tiny victims.

“Over the last number of years, we unfortunately have one or two young victims a year — (but) it’s extremely rare in the entire scope of the amount of homicides we have every year,” Winnipeg Police Service homicide unit boss Sgt. Wade McDonald told the Free Press Thursday.

This week, police charged a 31-year-old mother with killing her newborn daughter. Jeanene Rosa Moar has been charged with manslaughter after her newborn was found dead in a garbage bin in a North End lane on May 3.

Police believe “Baby Moar” was alive when she was put in the trash bin.

McDonald would not provide further details.

“It’s still early on — just because an arrest is made, the investigation continues on,” he said.

Since 2018, Winnipeg police have investigated four homicides involving children who were three years old or younger.

McDonald said such investigations can take a toll.

“It’s more difficult… The investigators have to put aside their emotions and focus on the task at hand,” McDonald said.

“Every homicide investigation is unique in their own right and the unfortunate thing is the age of the victim… Investigators here have family and children as well, and any investigation involving a child is very emotional and tragic.”

Depending on the circumstances of the case, the child abuse unit conducts the probe.

In August 2018, 22-month-old Drake Catcheway died of skull fractures after being hit repeatedly on the head.

Allen Beardy, the former boyfriend of the child’s mother, was charged with second-degree murder, but died in a vehicle collision during his 2021 trial.

Hunter Straight-Smith, 3, was stabbed by his mother’s former boyfriend Daniel Jensen while he slept in October 2019. He died days later after he was taken off life-support.

Jensen was convicted of first-degree murder in 2021. He was sentenced to life with no chance of parole for 25 years.

In January 2020, emergency services personnel went to a home in Lord Roberts after an infant boy was reported as unconscious. The baby died of internal injuries four days later.

Mathieu Moreau, 29, was charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault. The case has not gone to trial.

Jemimah Bundalian, 3, was stabbed twice and died in July 2021. Her father, Frank Nausigimana, pleaded guilty in May.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera