Two devastated families expressed relief Monday after killer Jack Woodruff pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for the 2008 double slaying of Lisa Dudley and her boyfriend Guthrie McKay.
McKay’s father Patrick broke down outside court as he described his much loved son and the toll the murder has taken on his family.
“We are law-abiding citizens that are broken, that might not ever function properly again,” he said, calling Woodruff’s guilty plea “amazing.”
“It saves us a lot of grief. There are more guys charged, but I thought it was a nice thing to do.”
Dudley’s mother Rosemarie Surakka said she believed Woodruff was sincere when he apologized to her during a pre-plea meeting.
“I can’t tell you everything that happened in that room when I spoke to him. But he is very remorseful for what he did,” she said. “He asked for my forgiveness and I gave it to him. And as far as I am concerned now, he is paying the penalty or the price for what he has done.”
Woodruff, 53, admitted in New Westminster Supreme Court that he went to the rural Mission home of Dudley, 37, and McKay, 33, late on Sept. 18, 2008, armed with a gun and a plan to kill Dudley.
There was a marijuana-growing operation in the house that was tended by Dudley, who had a history of involvement in the pot industry, according to the agreed statement of facts read to Justice Kathleen Ker.
Woodruff was accompanied by his co-accused in the case – Bruce Main, who drove – and Justin MacKinnon, who was also carrying a gun.
While their target was Dudley, they had agreed to shoot McKay “if necessary.”
“It was decided well in advance of the murders that Jack Woodruff would be the person who would be shooting the victims,” the statement said.
Woodruff and MacKinnon stood on the back deck of the house on Greenwood Drive and saw the couple watching TV. Woodruff opened fire, shattering the glass door with his first shot, then striking McKay in the face, head and back. Dudley was hit in the head and neck.
There was no motive revealed in court and both Crown and police refused to comment on motive outside court, explaining that both MacKinnon and Main are yet to go to trial.
Nor would they comment on whether Woodruff, who got a mandatory life sentence with no parole eligibility for 25 years, remains a suspect in the February 2007 disappearance of his girlfriend Karen Batke, who is presumed murdered.
MacKinnon and Main are next back in court March 30, but no trial date has been set.
Both grieving families thanked the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team for its efforts in the case.
“They have treated us really well during this devastating time of our lives,” Pat McKay said. “And the people out there that are in our situation – don’t give up hope. These guys are here to solve murders and they do.”
But Dudley’s family again stressed their frustration with the fact a 911 call on the night of the shooting was not adequately investigated.
As a result, Dudley lay critically wounded for four days until being discovered by a neighbour. She died en route to hospital.
The Sun was the first to reveal that RCMP Cpl. Mike White didn’t get out of his car when he responded to the original 911 call and left the scene without talking to the caller. He later received a letter of reprimand on his file and was docked a day’s pay, which Surakka on Monday said was “disgusting.”
She has filed a civil suit against the RCMP and provincial, municipal and federal governments on behalf of her daughter. And she continues to demand a coroner’s inquest in the case.
“Jack was the bad guy and that’s what bad guys do,” Surakka said. “The police are supposed to be the good guys and they should have been there to rescue her. There was a phone call put out – a lifeline put out – and they should have responded to that 911 call and they didn’t.”
McKay said he didn’t want to comment on revelations about the inadequate police response.
He said he preferred on Monday to focus on the guilty plea and his son.
“He was a great son. We raised him, spent a lot of time bringing him up – cubs, beavers, scouts, baseball,” McKay said. “He was a great person. Everyone loved him.”
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