[溫哥華本地新聞] Man who served 22 years charged, Serena, served, death

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Man who served 22 years for violent sexual assault charged with murder in death of Surrey teen Serena Vermeersch

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/served+years+violent+sexual+assault+charged+with+murder+death+Surrey+teen+Serena+Vermeersch/10225969/story.html#ixzz3E9OXw1tc
man who served 22 years in jail for a violent sexual assault has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of 17-year-old Serena Vermeersch of Surrey.
Police arrested Raymond Lee Caissie, 43, early Saturday morning in Vancouver. He was released from prison in March 2013 after serving a 22-year sentence for sexual assault, robbery and forcible confinement. In June of last year, Surrey residents were warned by the Ministry of Justice that the violent sexual offender would be living in the area.
Vermeersch was last seen walking along railroad tracks last Tuesday night, and when she didn’t come home by early Wednesday her mother phoned police.
Her body was found later Wednesday.
In 1992, Caissie was sentenced to 21 years in jail for the rape, forcible confinement and robbery of a 24-year-old woman who was working alone at the Matsqui museum. He forced her into her own car and made her withdraw cash from her bank machine before taking her to a remote spot over the U.S. border, where he forced her to perform oral sex, then left her tied to a tree.
He fled the scene in the woman’s car.
Two teenagers from a nearby farm looking for a missing calf eventually found the young woman, a University of Victoria student.
He was sentenced to an additional year for robbing another Matsqui woman who was walking her two-year-old in a stroller.
The Crown told the court at the time that Caissie has shown extreme violence and has an anti-social personality disorder.
The court heard how Caissie had been abused and unwanted in childhood. The Matsqui assault occurred just a few months after he had been released from prison for a kidnapping conviction.
“Mr. Caissie has been in trouble with society all his life — and his life has been a short one,” B.C. Supreme Court Justice Stuart Leggatt noted before sentencing. The judge said Caissie’s troubles began with the assault of his kindergarten teacher.
Psychiatric evidence and a pre-sentence report by probation officials at the time said there was little hope for treatment or rehabilitation of Caissie.
“That’s one of the most pessimistic pre-sentence reports I have read in my years on the bench,” said Leggatt.
“He is a person unable to establish any insight into his behaviour … The offender presents a very serious danger to the public at large.”
“See you in 22 years,” Caissie said as he was led out of court.

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Fast forward to June of last year, when the Ministry of Justice warned Surrey residents that convicted sex offender Caissie would be living in the area after completing his full sentence. There were a number of conditions attached to his release. Among them, Caissie was to remain in B.C., have no contact with any of his former victims, and not possess weapons, drugs or any tool that could be used to restrain someone.

Several months later, Caissie was in trouble with the law again, pleading guilty in January to a theft he committed in October. He also failed to report to a bail supervisor on two occasions, which earned him a three-month jail sentence starting in February and three years’ probation, according to The Province newspaper.

At a news conference Monday, Staff Sgt. Jennifer Pound of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said the influx of tips was pivotal as police worked around the clock to arrest a suspect.

“The community worked closely with us on this one,” she said, adding tips from the public and “extreme support” from businesses helped police apprehend the man as fear spread among residents in the area.

Pound read a statement from Vermeersch’s family saying that while they are grateful for the support they’ve received they wish to be left alone to grieve their loss.

Chief Supt. Bill Fordy of the Surrey RCMP detachment said Vermeersch was just a teen going about her business when she met with foul play, something police suspected from the start.

“As I stand here right now Serena should be at Sullivan Heights secondary school, having a laugh with her classmates and perhaps thinking about her graduation. Sadly, that is not the case.’’

He said the teen’s death has galvanized the Newton community where other high-profile deaths have occurred.

Last December, hockey mom Julie Paskall was killed outside the hockey arena while picking up her son from practice, raising safety concerns in the area not far from where Vermeersch was killed.




Teenager Serena Vermeersch's body was found in the 14600 block of 66th Ave. Tues., Sept. 16. She had been reported missing earlier that day.


cordoned-off area near train tracks just off 66th Ave and Upland Road where the body of 17-yr-old Serena Vermeersch was found Tuesday evening after she was reported missing on the 16th. Her death has now been ruled a homicide