Two years following the harrowing incident that marked her life with physical and emotional scars, Candyce Szkwarek revealed her daily torment to a courtroom. The vibrant Winnipeg woman remains haunted, even years later, her fear casting a daunting shadow over her socializing and public interactions, attributing this to the violent stabbing she endured at the hands of a co-worker.
“The proximity of death that day still sends shivers down my spine,” Szkwarek confessed, relaying her ordeal through a victim impact statement presented to the court. Staring at her reflection in the mirror resurrects the trauma of the attack, the scars acting as prominent reminders of the violent events that transpired.
The hammer of judgement fell upon Trevor Farley, who was found not criminally culpable for his various acts of violence by Justice Kenneth Champagne. Farley was pinned for the murder of both his parents, aged 73, along with the malicious assault on Szkwarek. The defense and prosecution collectively deduced that he should be charged as not criminally responsible, setting his deeply rooted mental illness at the heart of his actions.
Court testimonies unmasked Farley’s struggles with severe psychotic symptoms when he executed his violent acts. His delusions traced back to auditory hallucinations that had him convinced of his messianic identity, coupled with episodes of paranoia. Outside his home, he was perceived as an ordinary individual, while every closed door bore witness to his worsening mental health.
His confinement at Winnipeg’s Crisis Response Centre ended with him breaching the conditions of his involuntary hold, ensuing in the fatal stabbing of his father. The subsequent murderous rampage led him to his mother’s place, where history repeated itself in the form of another cold-blooded murder. He eventually arrived at the Seven Oaks General Hospital, his erstwhile workplace, wielding the same weapon of destruction against Szkwarek.
His violent spree played out in under three hours, as per Justice Kenneth Champagne’s declaration. On his immediate arrest, the aftermath of his heinous acts stood starkly visible in the scars engraved upon Szkwarek’s body, requiring multiple surgeries. Bruised both physically and mentally, she continues to struggle with motor skills and the inability to pursue cherished hobbies, along with the repercussions on her nursing career.
Echoing a similar sentiment, her daughter, Jackie Motoch, emphasized the pain and fear her mother lives with every day. Other eyewitnesses afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder following Farley’s attack on Szkwarek voiced their struggle with anxiety.
A rapid deterioration in Farley’s mental health before the attacks was judicially noted. While he sought help from mental health facilities, the severity of his condition was unfortunately overlooked, falling through the cracks of the system.
The tribunal is currently seeking to label Farley as ‘high-risk accused’, a move unopposed by Farley’s legal defense. Such a characterization could extend the duration of his mental health hospitalization and increase the need for heightened security and supervised mobility outside the institution.
Despite the overwhelming emotional turmoil, Szkwarek displayed an astounding gesture of forgiveness towards Farley’s family, a move motivated by her deep-seated belief in compassion over resentment. This deed, she later confessed to journalists, was to comfort Farley’s kin and assure them of her lack of animosity.
