Beyond Reasons
“We know now
the hows, we know the whos, we don't have all the answers to the whys and we may
never have all the answers to the whys.”
The voice belonged to Det. Sgt. Chris Buck of the Homicide Squad. But it might
well be the words spoken by every parent in the G.T.A., after police confirmed
Friday that Andrea Labbe was responsible for that horrific murder-suicide at 516
Concord Ave.
Forensics prove that the 27-year-old mother of three was the one wielding the
knife that killed her husband, 47-year-old Brian Langer, with a wound to the
torso. Three-year-old Zoe suffered a fatal injury to the neck. And Labbe’s
self-inflicted death blow came in the same area.
Two-year-old Brigitte is now conscious and recovering at the Hospital for Sick
Children, while the deceased couple’s third child, seven-month-old Margot,
wasn’t hurt.
As relatives prepare for three heartbreaking funerals, the question 'why' echoes
loudly and without end. But investigators fear that’s something even science
may never be able to answer.
Chief Julian Fantino concedes the tragedy still has his people reeling. “You
can never become dull to such horrific, tragic situations but … someone has to
look after these issues. But, yeah, it does indeed traumatize people,” he
confirms.
Buck revealed the forensic findings to 20 grieving relatives Thursday night, but
refused to say if the distraught mom might have been suffering from postpartum
depression. “I'm not a medical professional and I'm not going to comment any
further on that aspect of it.”
The police investigation continues, but officers hope the public will back away
and let those who were directly impacted by the nightmare move on.
“As a community, we can grieve with them, but also as a community, we need to
respect the privacy of these families,” he advises. “We need to let go, and
we need to let those families get on with their lives and get past the tragedy
of December 1st.”
Survivor
to mark second birthday
Did
cutbacks contribute to killings?
To see unedited video of Buck, click
here.
December 3, 2004