INSIDE: Part two of a look back at 2010’s most memorable events Pg. 4 T U E S D A Y
January 4, 2011
18 N E W S ,
SPORTS,
WEATHER
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E N T E R T A I N M E N T abbotsfordtimes.com
Tragedy unfolds for Abby family
CLARE Shelswell
News story 2010 OF THE YEAR
Slaying of child rallies local community
Church, where the family is part of the congregation, established a trust fund. There had been an outpouring of support, prayers and offers of help for the family both in Abbotsford, and from the first ROCHELLE BAKER responders and community in rbaker@abbotsfordtimes.com Washington, stated officials with the church. a d l y, p e r h a p s t h e m o s t Grief counsellors were sent in notable stor y of the year to help students and staff at the involved the violent death elementary school that Clare and of five-year-old Clare Shelswell her sister attended. this summer at the hands of her More than 300 people packed stepfather. M o u n t a i n Pa r k C o m m u n i t y T h e w h o l e c o m m u n i t y o f Church for the young girl’s memoAbbotsford, and people living on rial service on July 7. both sides of the border were horMourners viewed coloured crayrified by the death of the young on portraits of smiling buttergirl, who by all accounts had flies and rainbows on a memory nothing but smiles and hugs for table, where among the photos everyone she knew. of Clare, sat a well-loved, slightly Peter James Wilworn green teddy son, 30, slashed called his stepdaughter’s “She picked the flow“Baby.” throat with a knife ers no one else wanted. Se n i o r p a s t o r June 27 while the She’d keep the shells Te r r y K a e t h l e r, family was on vacawho remembered tion in Hoodsport, that were broken, the Clare as an Wash. after an argu- leaves eaten by caterpil“engaging girl,” ment with his wife lars. She transformed with a compasabout disciplining ionate nature broken things that others sbeyond Clare and her older her years didn’t want into things of said, sister Suzy. T h e l i t t l e g i r l’s beauty.” “She picked the body was discovf l ow e r s n o o n e ered after police – Terry Kaethler pastor else wanted. She’d received a frantic keep the shells 911 call from her that were broken, mother, Sarah Wilson. the leaves eaten by caterpillars. Wilson — who has both U.S. She transformed broken things and Canadian citizenship — was that others didn’t want into things arrested without incident at the of beauty.” scene by Mason County sheriffs On October 22, Wilson was senand held in jail pending $3 mil- tenced to more than 55 years in a lion bail. U.S. prison for his crime. Immediately following her death Mason County Superior Court those who knew Clare and her Judge Toni Sheldon outlined the family, or those in Abbotsford who reasons for Wilson’s “exceptional felt for their pain, rallied to sup- sentence,” citing Clare’s vulnerport the survivors of the crime. ability, the stepfather’s abuse of Mountain Park Community trust and the destructive nature
Sports Year in Review Part Two
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– SUBMITTED PHOTO/FOR THE TIMES
Clare Shelswell’s death in June, 2010 rocked the community of Abbotsford which responded with an outpouring of support to try and help the family cope with her brutal slaying at the hand’s of her stepfather Peter James Wilson. Wilson pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in a Washington State courtroom in October and was sentenced to more than 55 years in prison. of the crime for the family. During her victim-impact statement, Sarah Wilson told an emotional courtroom about losing her young daughter, described as a bub-
bly, smart, loving, creative, vibrant five-year-old girl whose favourite food was pickles. “Clare’s death has been shocking and devastating beyond compre-
hension to me and my family,” she said, noting her daughter would never celebrate her sixth birthday. see CLARE, page A3
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