Counterfeiting dubbed "World's 2nd Oldest Profession"

Only a few years ago, one Judge J.F Palmer imposed a sentence of 42 months prison time on Mathieu Flynn. 24, of Vancouver. Mathieu Flynn was no small time crook, he was a millionaire, some might call him an entrepreneur of sorts. In drawers around his Coquitlam home the RCMP had found his secret stash, piles and piles of $100, $50 and $20 bills. In fact Mr Flynn had been busy over the previous three years counterfeiting over $2 million dollars in Canadian currency.

Counterfeiting was dubbed by Michael Young in the Dallas morning News in 2009 as, "the worlds second oldest profession." In the 1200s China introduced paper money, mulberry trees used to make paper money had to be guarded to prevent counterfeiters. Back then, the penalty for counterfeiting was death by beheading.

In the 21st Century we are more used to reading a life threatening warning on a packet of cigarettes, in 7th century China however paper money carried a similar warning "To counterfeit is death" Ming notes read. Fake money has been a problem since coins and paper currency came into use at the time of the American Civil War for example it was estimated one third of currency in circulation was counterfeit.

Rachel Pernosky murdered by half-brother

Culprit evaded justice for three years

The more popular social media and android communications becomes the more the world seems to shrink. Internet connections enable us to communicate with anyone online and form new friendships. In fact the internet has opened up an alternative reality where now it is perfectly okay to speak to strangers, furthermore, the fact is through social media we are able to share our entire lives with them. But what happens when the stranger turns out not to have an ounce of humanity as is to often the case?

Recently we saw the conviction of Dellen Millard and Mark Smich for the first degree murder of Tim Bosma in Ontario and this was a crime that was especially arranged in email and cellphone conversations that might never have occurred in a previous time. Even more recently there was an arrest for the murder of Rachel Pernosky, allegedly committed by her step-brother, Matthew Joseph Pernosky, charged in 2016.

Rachel Pernosky was a bubbly, friendly 18 year old with her whole life ahead of her. Her friends described her as having the ability to, "lighten up the room, everywhere she went. "On the 22nd March 2014 tearful family and friends attended a candlelight vigil in Mission B.C. in memory of the murdered teen. What makes the loss so much harder to bear is knowing her then-18 month old son Marco has been left without a mother.

It was Saturday the 10th of March 2013 Rachel was reported missing. A 25-member strong RCMP police search for the missing teenager commenced some time later when her interaction online became absent. When the police entered her home they were instantly concerned due to the discovery that she had left her personal belongings including her purse money and perhaps more worryingly her cellphone.

On the day Rachel had last been seen she was on her phone tweeting a moment by moment account of things going on in the street, Rachel was an avid fan of social media including Facebook. Religion, politics, friendship, love, humor, entertainment, hatred, insanity and murder, apparently social media has it all.

Rachel's neighbor Leila James saw her drinking and smoking outside her home on the Saturday afternoon. More notably she recalled that Rachel had been talking to a stranger in a baseball cap. Was this Rachel's killer? Leila did not detect any cause for alarm at the time. "They were just having a friendly conversation together." She told the Vancouver Sun.

Sgt. Jennifer Pound, speaking on behalf of the RCMP homicide investigation team, reported that, "there had been no forced entry into Rachels home." This appeared to have been a targeted attack and so it is not believed that other women in the area are in danger. It is estimated that 175 million a day sign into Facebook and 55 million tweets are written daily on twitter. That is just two popular social media websites there are many many others. I think it would be reasonable to presume someone, somewhere may very well be in danger.

On a Tuesday evening 44 km from Rachel's home, a passerby made a terrible discovery and called the police. Rachel's body had been left down a steep embankment and search and rescue had to be employed to retrieve her discarded corpse. Meanwhile her son Marco none the wiser remained in the custody of his father. Sgt. Jennifer Pound emphasized, "The father is not considered to be a suspect."

The discovery of Rachel's body came as a surprise even to the police as they had not suspected homicide as a reason or her disappearance. Rachel Allard said of her friend, "She was like a big sister to me and kept her head up in any situation"

Investigators to scoured her many Facebook and twitter messages in search of the killer. Friends and family had to grieve the loss of such a beautiful young lady who had a whole life ahead of her. During the candlelight vigil they were reminded that Rachel had left the most beautiful gift to the world behind in her son Marco, who looks very much like his green eyed petite mother.

Freelance Writing by Staff 

Wyatt DeBruin Murdered Laura Szenrei

The past couple years have borne witness to a lack of safety for women in Vancouver-area parks, awareness of which was raised to frightful new heights in late September 2010 with the murder of 15-year-old Laura Szendrei. She was a Grade 10 student at Burnsview Secondary School in Delta, B.C., who died in hospital early Sunday morning, September 26, 2010, succumbing to injuries from a severe blow to the head.

The lethal attack took place only a few hours earlier, on Saturday, September 25 in a park next to the school she attended in North Delta. The attack which became fatal occurred in broad daylight at 1:30 p.m. while she was walking through the woods on the way to meet friends. Szendrei's friends were near the park and heard two loud cries for help and ran in that direction, arriving seconds after the attack to find her laying on the ground.

Delta Police Force told media they were looking for a 'person-of-interest', and said, “As a result of initial investigative efforts Delta Police were looking to speak to a person who may have information that may further our investigation." The person of interest was described as a young male seen leaving the park at about the same time as the attack, walking swiftly while preoccupied with a cell-phone.

He was Wyatt Debruin. He was convicted of Laura Szenrei's murder.

Wendy Ladner-Beaudry was an avid jogger, a mother of two young daughters, who entered Pacific Spirit Regional Park (adjacent the UBC campus) where she was attacked and murdered April 3, 2009, and the body was discovered by a hiker the same afternoon. Ladner-Beaudry was co-chair of the BC Games Society and was well-known as an avid promoter of sport and fitness for women in the province, and she was the sister of former Vancouver councillor and mayoral candidate Peter Ladner.

Her husband Michel Beaudry said in the days after the murder, “She was a loving wife, a dedicated mother, a consummate professional and a source of joy, love, and inspiration to everyone she met,.” The murder of Ladner-Beaudry remains unsolved while she was posthumously inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame this year.

This unsolved murder was preceded by another earlier in the spring of 2009, when a 43-year-old woman named Tammi-Lynn Louise Cordone was found in West Vancouver's Lighthouse Park. Her body was found lying near a tent that was set-up close to Juniper Point. Cordone had apparently been living as an itinerant in Lighthouse Park, a 74-hectare park off Marine Drive where camping was not permitted. Initially investigators treated Cordone's death as 'suspicious', then the investigation turned to homicide.

A relative of Cordone from Thunder Bay, Ontario, where Cordone was from, said the family received few details about the attack, and told the Vancouver media, “All we know about what happened was she was a good kid.” This investigation is being handled by both West Vancouver and Vancouver police departments because the West Vancouver Police Department does not have its own homicide unit. This murder also remains unsolved.

About a year ago, Oct. 19, 2009 9:20 AM Vancouver police issued a public warning after a local woman was violently sexually assaulted while walking through a west side park not far from the Pacific Spirit Regional Park. Reports said she was attacked in Hastings Mill Park, located next to the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club on Point Grey Road.

"He repeatedly punched her, multiple times in the head and face, then dragged her towards the centre of the park," said Cst. Jana McGuinness. The woman was able to fend off her attacker after a violent struggle during which the assailant began a sexual assault on the victim. The attacker left the scene, and police reported the victim sustained "significant" facial injuries and bruises.

"Obviously this is a violent and traumatic event," said Cst. McGuinness. "There will be an emotional toll -- no doubt for many weeks, and potentially even longer." Police said the suspect was described as 5-5 to 5-8 tall, medium-skinned with a medium build, and, “speaking in a distinctly British accent.” He wore a hooded sweatshirt and jeans, had a handkerchief over his face. Police discussed a possible connection to the murder of Wendy Ladner-Beaudry in April the same year because the park on Point Grey Road lies in relatively proximity to Pacific Spirit Regional Park.

Cst. McGuinness said the public must exercise caution in these relatively benign circumstances, and she listed a few safety suggestions, including: walk with a partner, carry a cell phone, stick to well-lit routes, and let someone know where you are. "These are just minor steps, but they can be really helpful in dissuading a serious attack," she said.