Wednesday, December 12, 2012

REST IN PARADISE: JESSIE CATE (6 MARCH 1996 TO 12 DECEMBER 2011)



            Last year on this day (12 December 2011), a 16-year-old Australian girl, Jessie Cate was murdered by her sister’s boyfriend, Kyle Garth at Mandurah, Western Australia. As there is no death penalty in Australia, I can only hope that Kyle will never have a day of rest in prison, as he murdered a child. If you are living in Australia, do donate money to her family, here is the info: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rest-In-Paradise-Jessie-Cate/194082757350007
              
          At the same time, let us not forget other murdered children from other countries too: Samantha Runion, Jamie Bulger and Moosa Mukhtiar Ahmed, The Petit girls, The Soham girls, Krista Denae Babb, Sally Anne Bowman, Polly Klaas and Kellie O’Laughlin
              Greek Philosopher, Plato once said:


“Longer life is no boon to the sinner himself in such a case, and that his decease will bring a double blessing to his neighbors; it will be a lesson to them to keep themselves from wrong, and will rid society of an evil man. These are the reasons for which a legislator is bound to ordain the chastisement of death for such desperate villainies, and for them alone”
           Here are several news on about Jessie Cate and her family:



ONE YEAR AGO: Friends and family will gather today to mark the year since Dawesville teenager Jessie Cate, 15, was murdered. Source: PerthNow

Family of Jessie Cate 'shattered' over death
Date

Aja Styles and Lucy Rickard
The uncle of dead Dawesville teenager Jessie Cate says the family is "shattered" at the loss of their little girl.

Police have charged a 19-year-old man with Jessie's murder after her body was recovered from a shallow grave in Bouvard bushland, only kilometres away from her home, on Tuesday night.

The 15-year-old schoolgirl left her casual job as a cashier at Woolworths at the Miami Shopping Centre about 6.30pm on Monday but failed to return home.

Her mother, Judy Cate, raised the alarm with police after she was contacted about Jessie getting a lift to a nearby oval to meet friends.

Ms Cate said she doubted her daughter would have gone out in the rain and made an emotional plea on Tuesday for her daughter to come home.

But major crime detectives delivered the news yesterday that Jessie's body had been found and a man charged with murder.

Kyle Rohan Garth, 19, briefly faced Mandurah Magistrate's Court over Jessie's murder, dressed in blue prison overalls but did not say anything.

Mr Garth was an ex-boyfriend of Jessie's older sister and had worked at Woolworths with the teenager. The family have refused to comment about Mr Garth.

Jessie's uncle Ric Troode said the family will now wait to recover the body before making funeral arrangements.

"Once we get our little girl back we will make a full statement and thank all the people we need to thank," he told television reporters.

"The news has been absolutely shattering... the whole family's feeling the pain."

Gemma Fox, a friend of Jessie, told Channel Ten it had been "the most devastating thing we've heard in our life" and many of them had "cried for hours and hours".

Four friends attended Mandurah Magistrates Court yesterday to see for themselves the man who has been charged with killing their young friend.

Mr Garth listened to the charge of murdering Jessie Cate being read out in court but was not required to enter a plea.

He was led away to be held in custody until his next court date at Stirling Gardens Magistrate's Court on December 21.

Friends remember Jessie online
In addition to Facebook tributes to Jessie, friends have now also posted a You Tube clip of photos of the 15-year-old.

She texted 'I love you too'
Just minutes before she went missing, Jessie sent a loving message to her boyfriend Harley Murphy, 17.

"She has actually been at her happiest because she had a new boyfriend for the last two months and she spends half the time with him and his family, and the other half of the time with us," Mrs Cate said.

"As soon as she finished work at 6.30, when [her boyfriend] knew that she was going to be finishing he sent her a text message saying 'I love you', she texted back 'I love you too' and then he texted her a smiley face.

"He expected [a] return [text] because Jessie would return any message she gets ... and he did not hear from her after that and that was around 6.35."

Rob Webb, 22, a friend of Jessie and her boyfriend, said Harley went looking for Jessie the night of her disappearance.

He said even though Harley did not have a driver's licence, he spent hours looking for her.

He said the couple were inseparable, and that they were "just always together... you wouldn't see them apart".

Harley posted on a Facebook tribute page: "Rest in peace my baby, you will always be in my heart."
Mr Webb said he and three other friends of the young couple went to court yesterday on behalf of Harley, who he said was going ''berserk'' at the news that his girlfriend was dead.

A friend within Harley's circle of mates also confirmed that Mr Garth was a former boyfriend of Jessie's sister and was known to the teenager.

Investigation continues
Forensic and major crime officers have cordoned off a large area of bushland in Bouvard, near Mandurah. It is expected to remain cordoned off for some time while investigations continue.

A red Nissan Bluebird, with a P-plate visible on the windscreen, has been towed away from the scene by forensic police, according to 6PR radio.

Jessie allegedly got a lift in the red car, driven by Mr Garth, to avoid waiting for her usual 594 bus in the stormy weather.

Police escalated the search for Jessie on Tuesday much more quickly than usual missing persons reports as her behaviour and lack of contact were so out of character.

"I called the police just after half past eight, quarter to nine, when she didn't come home on the last bus," Mrs Cate said.

"... I knew she's gone somewhere else ... she would not do that.

"I was told she was dropped at a nearby oval to meet friends and I know that can't be true because she would have told me about that change of plans and she wouldn't have been dropped off in that kind of weather.

"I know my Jessie ... she would have just preferred to come home.

"She doesn’t like to be in any kind of weather you know; her hair was very important to her, she didn't like it going curly."

Mr Garth was taken into custody at 7.45pm on Tuesday, and was charged with murder after eight hours of questioning.

Mr Webb, 22, was at court for Mr Garth's appearance and said that they were in shock, and struggling to cope with the news of Jessie's death.


Mr Webb said it was "pretty devastating, it seems the world's gone down the drain".
"I have only met her a few times but she was always polite, always happy and really respectful," he said.

Tributes flow
Friends have set up a Facebook page paying tribute to the teenager, with condolences flowing in for her family.

One friend wrote: "rest in peace jesse baby you were one of a kind and none of us will be the same without you, you brought laughter and happiness to everyones lifes (sic) this isnt fair and shouldnt of happend to you. Your (sic) in a safer pleace now babygirl love you xo miss you already."

Jessie’s employer Woolworths also issued a statement, offering condolences to her family, friends and work colleagues.

Woolworths WA regional manager Brad Bolin said the company had made arrangements for staff at the Miami store to be offered counselling.

"Jessie had been working at the Miami store as a service cashier for just six weeks but she had made a lasting impression as a promising young woman," the statement read.

"She will be greatly missed by her colleagues.

"Woolworths is helping the Western Australia Police with their enquiries.

"On behalf of Woolworths staff around the country, I extend my condolences to Jessie's family, friends and loved ones."

Friends gathered at the Miami Plaza Shopping Centre to set up a Cate family fund and to mourn the loss of Jessie.

Close friends Clare Myhill and Kieana Copeland said she was a beautiful, fun and friend-orientated person.

"I found out what had happened from Facebook and have been watching the news and listening to the radio all day to see if it was true," Clare said.

"It’s just upsetting to think something like this has happened to her."

A desk was set up in front of the Woolworths store for mourners to place flowers in respect of the young girl and a tin was placed at the reception for donations to the family.

"She loved kids and animals like rabbits and other cuddly animals, she was kind and very loving," Clare said.

To donate to the Cate family fund BSB 066-200 Account number 1004 9163.
- with Josh Halliday, Mandurah Mail.

Life sentence for Jessie Cate killer

KATE CAMPBELL, The West Australian September 5, 2012, 11:56 am
 
UPDATE 1:50pm: A 20-year-old man will spend at least 18 years behind bars for the "ferocious" and "unprovoked" murder of Dawesville teenager Jessie Cate.

Kyle Rohan Garth, of Pinjarra, was sentenced to a life jail term in the Supreme Court today, with a non-parole period of 18 years. This means Garth will still be aged in his 30s when he becomes eligible for release.

Details of how and why Garth murdered his ex-girlfriend's 15-year-old sister were revealed in court for the first time today, including how Garth strangled Jessie twice in his car - the second time with an intention to kill her to avoid being caught.

He told police he and Jessie were fighting in his car, after he picked her up from her part-time job at Woolworths in Falcon on December 12 last year, when within minutes he pulled the car over, lost his temper and lashed out.

Justice Jenkins said Garth had no real motive and this murder had not only devastated Jessie's family, but had also disturbed and impacted the wider community.

She told Garth he abused the trust Jessie and her family had in him in a "gross and awful way".
The judge described the attacks on Jessie as "ferocious", "unprovoked" and selfish.

Wearing prison greens, Garth spent his time in the dock mainly hunched over with his head bowed as Jessie's family saw him in person for the first time since he killed the high school student.

After strangling her, Garth, who had previously dated Jessie's older sister Emma for a couple of months, buried Jessie in a shallow grave in Bouvard.

In sentencing submissions today, prosecutor Carmel Barbagallo said Garth, a window tinter who used to work with the victim at Woolworths, offered to pick Jessie up from work telling her he had something to tell her alone. Those who overheard their conversation said the pair were smiling and it appeared their exchange was friendly.

Garth misled police for more than seven hours the next day when he concocted a story that he had dropped Jessie off at an oval to see friends.

Many inconsistencies were found in his story and Garth eventually confessed to murdering Jessie, saying they were arguing about his break-up with Emma, his current relationship and the fact he was no longer around as a male role model for Jessie's younger siblings when he pulled his car over and lost his temper. "I ended up suffocating her, I choked her with my hands, I don't know what came over me," he said.

When asked what was going through his mind when he was choking Jessie, Garth told detectives: "That's what disturbed me most - I was sorry and angry and that I love my partner, as that's all that was going through my head."

As he was blocking the road, another driver pulled up, prompting Garth to get out and speak to the other driver before driving off.

The court was told Garth then heard Jessie murmur and mumble and realised she was still alive.

Garth choked her with one hand whilst still driving - a position he held for more than 10km until he reached the site where he would bury her body.

Garth hid Jessie's body under logs and branches, returned home to Pinjarra to get a shovel and then went back to bury the teenager's body.

He told detectives he strangled her the second time out of fear of getting caught and when asked what his intention was at that time he replied: "kill her and I did".

The court was told Garth had spent a lot of time with Jessie's family while he was dating Emma and still remained on friendly terms with them after the break-up.

Jessie's family were in court today and saw Garth in person for the first time since he killed Jessie.

Ms Barbagallo said the impact of this senseless loss of life on Jessie's family and the wider Mandurah community was immeasurable.

Garth had no criminal record and no mention was made during sentencing submissions today of any major mental illness.

Defence lawyer Brian Mahon said his client wanted to apologise to everyone affected by his crime and he was fully aware that he shattered many lives that night.

He said his client bitterly regretted his actions and accepted he had a price to pay for ending Jessie's life. Mr Mahon said Garth conceded that during the second choking episode he intended to kill Jessie, but that the first attack was spontaneous with no planning.

"He's aware what he faces will only be a fraction of the suffering (that the Cate family will have to endure)," he said.

The murder of the popular teenager prompted a tidal wave of grief in the Mandurah community, but Mr Mahon said before this tragedy his client was also well-liked and respected in the community.

Garth had scratches on his face from Jessie during the first attack, but Ms Barbagallo said when Garth strangled her the second time "he effectively killed a girl who couldn't defend herself".
She said Garth had time to reevaluate his actions and choose a different path, but did not.

She said when Garth called Jessie's mother the morning after the murder, pretending not to know what had happened, it showed "callousness and coldness". Ms Barbagallo said Garth had also committed a breach of trust because Jessie and her family had no reason to think her life would be in danger in his company.

Justice Jenkins said while there was no pre-planning or weapon involved in this murder, it also involved a "terribly violent death" of a young person.

She said Garth still had the support of his mother, stepfather and his partner, who is 16 years his senior and who was his girlfriend at the time he murdered Jessie.

Outside court, Jessie's family welcomed the sentence, which was higher than they hoped, but showed Garth some compassion.

"It's more years that he's going to spend in prison than our gorgeous Jessie spent alive," Jessie's uncle Ric Troode said.

"Nothing is going to bring Jessie back, her memory will outlive Kyle's name forever and a day, she's never, ever going to be forgotten.

"I'm not going to be angry and say I hope he rots in hell ... I feel for him, he is a young man, we hope that he comes out of this a better person. They said that he had an unblemished character, that he was of good standing, but people of unblemished characters and good standing don't murder 15-year-olds ... there's no excuse."

Mr Troode said Garth's apology in court today provided them no solace.

Jessie's mother Judy Cate said outside court she and her family would never recover from her daughter's violent murder, saying they had lost the best thing they ever had.

"It happened so quickly, she didn't have a chance to defend herself or have a chance to get away, he took the intention to kill her without any thought towards Jessie herself and us as a family," she said.

"If he was remorseful, he should have let her live the first time."

Ms Cate said her daughter was "perfect" and "everything a parent could hope for in a child".

Pledge to tackle school violence in wake of teen's murder

Judy Cate, mother of murdered teenager Jessie, pictured with Jessie's sister Emma, 18, and her 11-week-old son Chase. Picture: Theo Fakos
THE mother of murdered Dawesville teenager Jessie Cate wants schools to do more to teach kids about violence and has revealed how she tried to connect with the mother of her daughter's killer three weeks after the death. 

In a wide-ranging interview with The Sunday Times on the eve of the first anniversary of her daughter's murder, Judy Cate said she wanted WA school students to sign a pledge every year on March 6, Jessie's birthday, saying no to violence.

Several schools in Mandurah have embraced the program, known as the Purple Ribbon Pledge, and Mrs Cate said she would urge the Education Department to make it statewide.

The mum of four recently visited a Mandurah school plagued with violence to speak to students.
"That's my next plan, to get that program implemented in more schools," Mrs Cate said. "We need to start teaching kids as young as possible to say no to violence."

Jessie was 15 when she was picked up outside her work in Falcon on the night of December 12 last year, strangled and buried in a bush grave.

Mrs Cate, 44, said she feared her daughter's killer, Kyle Rohan Garth, from Pinjarra, who previously dated Jessie's sister, Emma, and is serving a minimum 18-year jail term, could kill again if released.

"I have a feeling because he has got a taste for it now, he may do it again. That's, my fear," she said.

Mrs Cate said she phoned Garth's mother three weeks after he was charged with the murder.

"I just wanted to see how she was going, from one mum to another. I tried to connect with her," she said. "I knew she was affected. I can imagine the hurt that was going through her and she was suffering when I spoke to her. She could not stop crying.

"It was difficult. It was still very raw for her."

Mrs Cate has survived a harrowing 12 months.

After losing Jessie, her ex-husband died after an alleged fight at a caravan park and several months ago she lost a brother to cancer.

Mrs Cate said she welcomed the opportunity to meet Garth one day and ask him why he killed her daughter.

"But I'd only be prepared to do it if I knew, 100 per cent, he would tell me the truth," she said. "I want to know the truth. I really want to know what happened that night.

"I can't understand why he took her."

Mrs Cate said she wanted people to remember Jessie for her loving personality and not for the way she died.

"I want her to be remembered for who she was and for what she believed in. She liked loving people. She accepted people from all walks of life," she said.

"It's still very surreal. Each day I wake up and I can't believe she is gone. Every day I shed a tear for her because I don't ever stop missing her."

On December 12, Mrs Cate will hold a barbecue and a minute's silence at Henry Sutton Grove in Halls Head to mark the anniversary of Jessie's death.

Members of the public are welcome to attend from 4pm and are encouraged to bring purple balloons, as purple was Jessie's favourite colour.

Friends, family mark one year since teenager Jessie Cate's murder

  • Phil Hickey
  • PerthNow
  • December 12, 2012 11:16AM
HUNDREDS of friends and supporters are expected to pay their respects to Dawesville teenager Jessie Cate, who was murdered one year ago today.

Jessie, 15, was murdered on the night of December 12 last year after accepting a lift home from work from her sister’s ex boyfriend, Kyle Rohan Garth.

She was strangled and buried in a bush grave south of Mandurah.

Later today, Jessie’s mum Judy Cate will hold a barbecue and a minute’s silence for her daughter at Henry Sutton Grove in Halls Head to mark the one year anniversary of her daughter’s death.

Friends of Jessie’s and members of the public are welcome to attend from 4pm onwards and are encouraged to wear purple and bring purple balloons.

In sentencing Garth to a minimum 18-year jail term for the murder Justice Lindy Jenkins said: “You (Garth) had given her every reason to believe that you were a trustworthy person whom she could rely upon to take her safely from her work to her home.”

“You abused the trust that she placed in you in a gross and awful way. 

“This is an offence which the community cannot understand or rationalise so it has greatly disturbed the local community, if not the wider Perth and Western Australian community.”

Jessie Cate remembered as a 'beautiful girl'

By Megan Kelly

A YEAR has passed since 15-year-old Jessie Cate was murdered by her sister’s ex-boyfriend on the night of December 12.

But her mother Judy Cate said she didn’t want her daughter to be remembered as the girl who tragically died.

“I want her to be remembered for the beautiful person she was,” Mrs Cate said.

“I learn more and more about her each day from other people.

“I’m astounded by the impact she had on others.”

This afternoon family, friends and members of the community joined together at Henry Sutton Grove in Halls Head to mark the one-year anniversary of Jessie’s death.

A barbecue started at 4pm – the last time Mrs Cate saw Jessie – and a minute’s silence was held  before the releasing of purple balloons.

Mrs Cate said it had been an extraordinary year tinged with sadness.

“I have mixed emotions,” she said.

“A lot of good things have come; I’ve made new friends and had great support from the community.

“But it’s been bittersweet.

“Every new celebration or memory we make Jessie won’t be around for and she should be a part of it all.”

She said she was pleased with the outcome of sentencing for killer Kyle Rohan Garth but said there would never be closure after her “senseless” death.

“It’s a daily struggle,” she said.

“We take each day as it comes.

“She had so much going for her and the community missed out on a beautiful member.

“I just want her to be remembered for the good things she did and the impact she had on other people.”
 

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