Tears were shed, and hugs were shared as more than 20 people explained how their lives have been forever changed in the aftermath of the double homicide of the De Jongs.
Khushveer Toor, Gurkaran Singh, and Abhijeet Singh – who have all been found guilty of first-degree murder – sat in B.C. Supreme Court on Thursday (May 28) and were forced to listen to the words of the family and friends of Arnold and Joanne De Jong, who were killed in May 2022.
A total of 21 victim impact statements were read out in front of a packed courtroom, with dozens of other people also listening in from the overflow rooms on another floor of the courthouse.
One of the many speakers was Sandra Barthel, who is one of the three daughters of the De Jongs, with her sisters Heather Hoogland and Kimberley Coleman also taking their turn to verbalize their turmoil.
“Having to sum up in words how I’ve been impacted by the murder of my mom and dad feels like an impossible feat,” said Barthel. “How does one describe hell in words?”
She said the murder of her parents has had far-reaching impacts on the entire family, which she expects will stay with them all for the rest of their lives.
“Murder not only ends lives,” Barthel said. “It steals safety, it steals stability, it steals joy, it steals faith, it steals sleep, it steals futures.”
Coleman shared a similar sentiment, saying that the three convicted murderers weren’t the only ones who would carry the consequences of the violent attack that took the lives of the De Jongs.
“Our family has been given a life sentence of losing our parents to pure evil, without the chance of parole,” said Coleman.
While the impact on the sisters was immense, they also explained in court how their children have been affected by losing their grandparents so suddenly.
“Having to explain to an eight and four-year-old that their grandparents were murdered after just spending Mother’s Day together the day before was traumatizing for me,” said Hoogland.
“What mother should have to explain to her children that they will no longer be able to see their loving grandparents?”
Barthel said the bond between a grandparent and their grandchildren is precious, especially for her own daughter.
“In the middle of all this grief, I find myself overwhelmingly thankful for every moment she had with my daughter,” said Barthel.
“She helped shape her, and she gave her memories, routines, comfort, laughter, and love that my daughter will forever carry. But there should have been so many more moments.”
The sisters also shared that their father had been valiantly fighting for years for more time with the family after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Raymond Hoogland provided some details on the moment when he discovered the crime scene and had to alert his wife, Heather, that her parents had been bound and killed in a home invasion.
He said each horrifying detail of that day has been forever burned into his mind.
“What I saw that morning of May 9th has left me broken beyond repair,” said Hoogland.
The sisters shared that the mandatory life sentence for all three convicted murderers was a big step towards justice, but would never make up for the loss they continue to feel every day.
“I wish the people responsible for my parents’ death had been taught to value human dignity,” said Barthel.
Coleman added that she was disgusted by the three men and the way they carelessly took the lives of her parents.
“None of the three guilty parties had mercy on my parents,” said Coleman.
“They killed a man with pancreatic cancer – a man who gave their young roof cleaning business a chance – and a loving woman who would have fed them if they needed it.”
In addition to the several family members, many longtime friends of the De Jongs also took a turn to share their own victim impact statements.
But the May 28th court date involved more than just the reading of these emotional statements, with Toor’s defence lawyer also filing a constitutional challenge to try to obtain early parole eligibility.
First-degree murder convictions carry an automatic life sentence, without parole eligibility for 25 years.