OFF MY CHEST: Murders of young women have made me paranoid
I hope that one day, these are worries that I will not need to have. That my children won’t need to have. ILLUSTRATION| IGAH
What you need to know:
- The 24-year-old Alberta Williams was found dead along the Highway of Tears near Prince Rupert, B.C. The police never caught her killer.
- Twenty-seven years later, her unsolved murder continues to haunt her family.
Have you ever walked in the dark especially when it’s raining and felt as if someone was following you? Have you ever been forced to hasten your steps then you find yourself running so fast that you only catch your breath inside your house? The paranoia is on a heightened level and these days when you flip through the channels or the papers you can never fail to come across some terrifying stories.
I read and follow silently as the stories of Monica and Sharon unfold like a bad thriller movie and my stomach twitches by day as scarier and terrifying revelations are established about the riveting, spine-chilling murder act of these two among very many others. Mouth taped, hands tied; either people watch so many movies or humanity has lost its meaning!
CRITICISING THE DEAD
The society criticising the dead and families left with permanent marks mourning the loss of their loved ones. We all have sinned but looks like some sins are ‘bigger’ than the others. Those who have died in a disturbing way, may they rest in peace and those who made it to the front covers of the dailies yet there are a hundred more whose deaths cannot be explained.
My friend sent me a podcast titled “Who Killed Alberta Williams?” which explores how a chilling tip sparked the CBC Radio journalist Connie Walker to uncover secrets and confront a suspect in a decade-old cold case from CBC Radio. The 24-year-old Alberta Williams was found dead along the Highway of Tears near Prince Rupert, B.C. The police never caught her killer. Twenty-seven years later, her unsolved murder continues to haunt her family.
And as I listened to it I thought to myself: what has become of humanity? Where does one get the courage to rape, stab or slit someone's throat? How do they even sleep at night knowing they have committed such a horrendous act?
QUICK TO JUDGE
We are quick to judge, point fingers and criticise the dead, yet we are silent about the murderers.
The societal expectations of young girls in this century is overwhelming, you never know who can be after your life, is it your neighbour? Your cab driver? Your best friend? Your spouse? Right now it’s so terrifying to even walk in the dark or jog early in the morning around your neighborhood.
Scrolling through the backlash makes me even more scared because social media in general has become one of the most unsafe spaces to be in.
Kanye West recently deleted his social media accounts and can we really blame him?
I hope that one day, these are worries that I will not need to have. That my children won’t need to have.
