Photograph of Homolka on her balcony,
from the e-book Finding Karla
In response to the comments I received on my last post, I decided to charge the lousy $3 to my PayPal account, and downloaded a copy of Paula Todd's controversial e-book, Finding Karla. Yes, let the record show that I did not sully my eyes with a bootlegged copy; I bought it, downloaded the file, and then struggled to get the bloody thing to display (had to download a special version of Adobe reader).
Although most of what I wrote prior to actually reading the document still stands, I must add that I found it to be an interesting read. Todd paints a most revealing picture of her time in Guadaloupe, from the decidedly patriarchal local customs, to the stroke of luck which led her to Homolka's hideaway, to the hour she spent with Canada's most notorious female killer.
However... I still don't feel that Todd's work contributes anything to the Homolka discussion that I wasn't previously aware of; she merely confirms the work of the good citizens of the Blogosphere. The fact that Todd was able to pinpoint Homolka's precise location and speak with her are largely moot points in my opinion because the discussion, while interesting, did not unearth any new details or insights into the inner-workings of this most complex monster who once referred to herself as "Karly Curls."
Karla Homolka hasn't changed much at all over the last 20 years; she is still meticulous in her appearance, strongly defiant of any form of criticism, and completely unwilling to even glance at her own wretched past. Furthermore, she continues to refuse any and all requests for information which concerned citizens might find useful in coming to gain a better understanding of her enigmatic personality. As ever, she says only what she wants us to hear, and shows only what she wants us to see. The fact that she allowed a journalist whom she had never met, who had tracked her from half a world away and showed up at her home unannounced, to watch while she breastfed her youngest child speaks volumes about Homolka's desire to alter whatever preconceived impressions that Todd may have brought with her.
As a final note, I must admit that my blood boiled ever so slightly upon reading that:
"On the Web, the stalkers, sleuths and gossips insist she's changed her name, dyed her long blonde hair and switched from speaking English to French - a skill she'd honed in prison, along with earning a university degree in psychology."
Stalkers, sleuths, and gossips? Honestly, Ms. Todd; what is it that elevates you above those you have lumped into this unsavoury lot? While I have been watching her movements online for some time now, the thought of jumping on a plane in the hopes of "finding" her never once crossed my mind. With all due respect, your career accomplishments, while impressive, do not make you any less a "stalker" than the rest of us lowly "gossips."
