Homolka’s presence unnerves neighbours in Montreal suburb

MONTREAL — When Bruce Richter lived in Scarborough, Ont. in the early 1990s, he occasionally saw Paul Bernardo walking around the neighbourhood with his girlfriend, Karla Homolka.

“She was very pretty,” Richter recalled of the teenager, who would eventually become one of Canada’s most notorious criminals for her role in the sex killings of two schoolgirls and her 15-yearold sister, Tammy.

So Richter could hardly believe his ears Wednesday when he learned that all these years later, Homolka was not only living in his Chateauguay neighbourhood on Montreal’s South Shore, but on his street.

“It’s very strange considering I saw her when she was a kid with Bernardo,” Richter said.

Chateauguay residents were stunned to learn this week that Homolka, 45, lives in the community and has children attending Centennial Park, an elementary school near her home.

Homolka is now using the name Leanne Teale, the surname that she and Bernardo adopted soon after their marriage. Teale was a serial killer in the movie Criminal Law and a character Bernardo admired.

A woman who lives next door to Homolka said she didn’t know her neighbour’s real identity until this week. She said Homolka has lived on the street for about two years, but keeps to herself.

“They have been nice people,” said the woman, who refused to give her name. “I feel very sad for the children.”

Homolka remained inside her home with her children on Wednesday. She called the police, who instructed reporters to stay off her property.

Homolka’s husband told La Presse on Tuesday if neighbours were worried, they could simply move.