When I first spoke to Carol last year she told me in graphic detail what happened to Tim aboard that bus.
“Mr. Li taunted (passengers and police) with my son’s head and dropped it in the stairwell (of the bus.) He continued to ravage my son’s body, removing all of his internal organs. When he finally did escape out of the bus window, he had my son’s nose, tongue and ear in a baggie in his pocket.
“Some internal organs were thrown onto the front dash of the bus, he was in the process of trying to remove one of his feet.
“He ate his eyes, and he ate at least one third of his heart muscle as well as other tissue. Mr. Li was observed during this attack cannibalizing my son, and smelling and licking his fingers.
“There were body parts in bags in four to six different locations in the bus. There was a gaping hole where his heart was ripped out. He was pulp. His body was pulp.”
I couldn't believe she could be as frank about the death of her son as she was, or that she could describe it in the detail that she did. I had a tough time taking notes and hearing it, yet there she was, discussing her son's murder with a calm I could never imagine.
I asked her how she could get through it, be as strong as she was and talk about it the way she did. She wasn't detached from this event, by any means, but she said she had to make people aware of what happened to Tim because it was the gruesome nature of the crime that kept it in people's minds.
Sadly, I don't see as many people caring as they first did when Tim's murder hit the headlines. At first, people seemed outraged and determined to have justice carried out. There were about 1,000 people in a Facebook group called RIP Tim McLean that I joined the day after his murder. It quickly grew to over 33,000 people but has since dropped to just over 26,000 people.
As a mother, I have empathized since day one with Carol. I could never imagine being in her position. So I reached out the only way I knew how; through the magazine. I wanted to give her an ongoing voice anytime she needed it and I have since had the pleasure of meeting her. She is warm, genuine, funny and the strongest woman I have ever met.
I will continue to shove these images down the throats of our readers, Twitter followers and Facebook fans until the day comes that the NCR law is changed.
Vince Li's fate is sealed. He will be released and he will never have a criminal record for what he did. He will most likely disappear into a neighbourhood that you live in.
But the fate of future offenders who think they can get off with the BULLSHIT NCR verdict is in your hands. Don't let yet another offender get away with this. Sign Carol's petition to change the NCR Law.
"Be the change you want to see in the world" Ghandi
Today, news broke that a security plan was unveiled so that Vince Li could get some fresh air and sunshine during walks around the Selkirk facility where he is being held.
There will be two "special constables" escorting Li however there is no fence.
It sure was nice of them to drop this little tid bit of information almost two years to the DAY that Li killed Tim... you know, seeing as Tim will never see the light of day again.
