THURSDAY
K A M L O O P S
THIS WEEK Thursday, November 8, 2012 X Volume 25 No. 89 www.kamloopsthisweek.com X 30 cents at Newsstands
Accused says devil forced killing of dad By Tim Petruk STAFF REPORTER
tim@kamloopsthisweek.com
The way Josh Steel saw it, he had been presented a choice by “the devil.” Either the 19-year-old Kamloops man kill his dad — and, in the process, be given control of the world — or do nothing and watch as he and his entire family die slow, painful deaths. Such was the scenario presented on Wednesday, Nov. 7, during the B.C. Supreme Court murder trial of the 19-year-old Steel, who admits to beating his father, 63-year-old Phil Steel, to death with a fireplace tool on Sept. 12, 2011. Court was told Steel had been experiencing psychotic hallucinations for a period of months before the murder. He was put on medication after a visit to Royal Inland Hospital in February, but stopped taking his pills after a doctor in the Philippines told him they were not necessary. That was March 2011. After a period of improvement, Steel’s mental state began to deteriorate and he was experiencing halluciDave Eagles/KTW
X See DOCTOR A21
U.S. ELECTION 2012
LEST WE FORGET
Barack Obama has won a second term as president of the United States, defeating Mitt Romney in the Tuesday, Nov. 6, vote. Kamloops This Week asked a couple of community movers and shakers for their impressions of the election. Turn to page A2 for their take. Voters in Washington state and Colorado cast ballots to legalize marijuana, albeit with many restrictions. Turn to page A19 to read reaction from across the province. Meanwhile, KTW’s global-affairs columnist Gwynne Dyer writes about Obama’s victory — and what it may mean for action on climate change — on page A26.
The 2012 Remembrance Day ceremony will take place on Sunday, Nov. 11, at 10:30 a.m. in Riverside Park. Turn to the B section for a Remembrance Day feature and our Courage Remembered pages.
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nations and having conversations with the devil, even believing his television was sending him messages. Steel’s mother was concerned when, in late August, her son began spending hours on end in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He would not join her for bike rides or walks and refused to leave the house for work. Steel also spoke about receiving messages from the TV show Friends. In particular, he said a character on the show told him to turn a light switch on and off 11 times or risk seeing his family “get hurt.” On Sept. 10, 2011, two days before Steel killed his father, police were called to the family’s home for a reported family disturbance. Steel had apparently been fighting with his parents and eventually left the house and began smashing car windows in the neighbourhood. When police arrived, he tried to run away, but was arrested a short time later. Court heard Mounties were concerned about Steel’s mental health. Defence lawyer Jordan Watt said police made notes about “unusual verbal sounds” Steel was making while in custody.
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