The mother of a Vernon, B.C., woman who was killed by her boyfriend is speaking out after a documentary aired in the U.K. about her daughter’s death.
Christy Gendron, the mother of Ashley Wadsworth, was one of the first people to see the film. The documentary, produced by ITVX, focuses on the relationship between the young Vernon woman and her boyfriend, Jack Sepple, who is now in prison for her murder.
“It was really hard just to watch,” described Gendron.
“There was some stuff in it that I hadn’t seen yet until then that the police had released — them working on Ashley in the yard, the police arresting him, and his interview.”
Wadsworth travelled to England last year to meet with Sepple, who she met online when she was just 12 years old at the time. The then 19-year-old Vernon woman was strangled and stabbed nearly 100 times by Sepple, who is serving a life sentence after admitting to the murder. Gendron says there were warning signs at the time, but she didn’t recognize them.
“Just hearing from her less, hearing from her sister that maybe things weren’t as good and bringing it up to her, and her shooting it down and saying ‘no, we’re fine,’ and ‘I’m not going to talk to you anymore,’” said Gendron.
“She loved him, and love at 19 especially is very blind.”
As heart-wrenching as it was for the mother to watch the documentary, she hopes it will help others see the signs of toxic relationships and domestic violence.
“There’s a huge message here, and it’s to spread awareness,” expressed Gendron.
“These predators, especially online, can hide behind a computer screen and even if you know them for years like we did — we thought England was safe — I had no idea, murder didn’t even cross my mind.”
Gendron added that another production company out of the U.K. is set to release a documentary about her daughter’s death sometime later this year.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, there are a number of resources in the Okanagan, including the Kelowna Women’s Shelter, which offers 24/7 phone support, a website that allows you to discreetly exit the page, and housing for women and children in need of a safe place.
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