LETHBRIDGE – A Lethbridge mother is reaching out to the family of Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette, after the two-year-old’s tragic death brought back painful memories.
Sylvia Bouw’s five-year old daughter, Jessica Koopmans, was kidnapped from her North side home in Lethbridge on May 4, 2001.
Jessica disappeared after she went to play with a friend down the block. Her body was found under a pile of brush one week later, near the town of Fort Macleod, 60 kilometres west of Lethbridge.
A week after Jessica’s body was found, police charged 31-year-old Tony Gallup with the kidnapping and first-degree murder of the 5-year-old.
Bouw said Gallup was a family friend, who frequently played with her two daughters, and dated her best friend. He was found guilty of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
Bouw told Global News Thursday she feels pure anger towards the suspect in the murder of Hailey and Terry Blanchette, as it brings up terrible memories for her.
“It brought everything back for me. It seems like a similar situation,” said Bouw. “It’s different, but there are a lot of similarities. It’s not easy when you see children and people being killed. It hits home for me.”
Bouw said it’s a long road ahead for Hailey’s family, and added she never felt closure until the man who killed her daughter was behind bars.
Comments