Editorial 9 - Aaron Webster Murder

The wheels of justice move very slowly. The story of Aaron Webster's murder broke in 2001. Aaron Webster was beaten to death in Vancouver, British Columbia. From news reports, it appears Webster was beaten to death by a group of people. News reports on the internet indicate the people who killed Aaron Webster brought weapons with them, so they could beat up somebody. Evidently, they went to the park where Aaron Webster was murdered other times looking for a victim.

One 18 year old man plead guilty. Because he was a youth at the time the murder took place, he was sentenced as a young offender and got a light sentence.

December 2004, Ryan Cran, a 22 year old man, was found guilty in Aaron's death. A Canadian Television news story says he was allowed to remain free on bail, until late January, 2005, when he will be sentenced.

Certainly, a gut-level assessment of what happened does not seem just or reasonable. A convicted murderer, who was involved in what many consider to be a vicious hate crime, is able to remain free until he is sentenced. Since when is it appropriate for a convicted murderer to remain free while waiting for sentencing? And since when is it in the interest of society to allow a person who took place in the mob killing of a person to remain free? Society is not safe when people who are involved in planning and in carrying out hate-crime murders are allowed to walk free!

Wake up judge! Society needs to be protected! That is more important than the ability of a convicted murderer to spend Christmas with family.

Aaron Webster Memorial Web Page.