Not everyone can write a check to support a worthy cause or spend an afternoon away from work and family to protest or support something they believe in. Many people I encounter want to reach outside the bubble of their own lives to help others, but often don't exactly know how to connect and make a difference while still keeping their own ship afloat.
However, there is something you can do that may help a family that has been through hell on earth. They are the Bagby family. A new two hour documentary titled: Dear Zachary has been written, directed, and produced by their long-time family friend Kurt Kuenne. It is a factual account of events that occurred in their lives from 2001-2003. DO NOT watch it if you are an emotional basket-case! Its twists and turns do not deliver the perfect, packaged ending of a Dateline special. But if you love documentaries, even tragic ones, and want to be motivated to help a cause....try and catch it when it airs on MSNBC again, or seek out a copy.
SPOILER ALERT! I want to tell you the basic plot, because if you are like me and get affected by visually seeing someone's pain, you need to be forewarned. Basically this Californian guy who is well loved by everyone, an only child of two good people, a newly graduated Doctor of Family Medicine.....gets killed by his older, sociopath girlfriend while they are finishing Medical school in Newfoundland, Canada. The woman flees back to the states, but then goes back to Canada where they let her out on bail--even though she is charged with first degree murder, etc. She already has two older kids from other men. She then tells the parents of this guy she has killed that she is pregnant with their murdered son's kid, and the DNA tests prove it's true. The child protection agency in Canada allows this woman to stay out on bail and care for this baby. The parents now have to deal with the woman who killed their son (including giving her money for diapers, food, etc.) in order to see and help care for their grandson. The grandson prefers the grandmother to his own mother (maybe sensing a lack of warmth or care.) The kid is 13 months old. The Canadian Government continues to let her roam, despite the ever-pending murder case. The parents go through the lawyers, do everything to get the grandson. The child protective services say her "alleged act of violence" was targeted (to their son) and therefore they have nothing to worry about. The crazy woman pulls the same behavior on another guy, who breaks up with her. A day later she ties the Bagby's 13 month old grandson to her chest with a sweater and drowns herself, and him, in the ocean.
The tragedy of the additional loss of baby Zachary could have been prevented had this woman not been let out on bail and been allowed custody of the child she had with the person she allegedly murdered, so says the investigation report conducted by Peter H. Markesteyn, M.D., F.C.A.P. and David C. Day, Q.C., commissioned by the Child & Youth Advocate's office of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Even if we aren't Canadian, we can help. You can write a letter by using the info provided here or send some snail mail or an email to the appropriate folks. Sharon Kayne, from the guestbook on the dear zachary website, complied this info for us. Many thanks for doing so.
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I was deeply moved by this film, and was grateful that Kurt suggested a course of action at the end: contact the Canadian Parliament and urge them to enact bail reform. If each of us took five minutes to do this, we could affect true change. I looked for contact info for Parliament, but found their website maddeningly vague. Did find contact info on the committees, but no info on which committee would handle bail reform. Below I’ve posted contact info on the two most likely committees, as well as the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa ON K1A 0A2 Canada Email: pm@pm.gc.ca
STANDING COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND NATIONAL SECURITY Sixth Floor, 131 Queen Street House of Commons Ottawa ON K1A 0A6 Canada EMAIL: secu@parl.gc.ca
STANDING COMMITTEE ON JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS Sixth Floor, 131 Queen Street House of Commons Ottawa ON K1A 0A6 Canada EMAIL: JUST@parl.gc.ca |
Additionally, I am sure these two brave survivors (David and Kate Bagby) would appreciate any prayers and positive intentions for them and their murdered son and grandson. They live in California now, and continue to travel to Canada to demand reform. You can email them at: dearzachary@earthlink.net