Grave. Serious. Vulgar. Horrific.

Those are just a few of the terms used by a judge to describe a random attack that saw a troubled Winnipeg teen break into a Fort Richmond home, confront the young female resident and then brutally sexually assault her as she pleaded for mercy.

It was, without a doubt, one of the more chilling crime cases I've covered in my 18 years.

On Wednesday, Judge Ray Wyant decided an adult sentence was needed for the youth to reflect the brutality of the crime. He concluded provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act are not sufficient to properly condemn what happened and protect society from the accused.

| On Tuesday, an eight-day missing person mystery came to a tragic end in Ontario when police discovered the remains of Tim Bosma at an undisclosed location in Waterloo.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper joined a chorus of people offering condolences online when he posted the following on his official Twitter account (@PMHarper): “My thoughts and prayers go out to Tim Bosma’s family during this difficult time.”

Last Thursday, a seven-year missing person mystery came to a tragic end in Winnipeg when police discovered the remains of Myrna Letandre buried inside a Point Douglas rooming house.

Phoenix Sinclair was clearly failed on many levels. A public inquiry which began this week in Winnipeg is now tasked with finding out exactly where things went wrong - and what can be done to prevent future tragedies.

But look beyond several levels of bureacuracy and you'll find where the ultimate responsibility lies - with the two parents who were supposed to love and care for her.

Instead, Samantha Kematch and Karl McKay treated the little girl in the most cruel and despicable way imaginable.

Both have refused to participate in the public inquiry as they serve life sentences with no chance of parole for at least 25 years.

It reads like something out of a Hollywood horror movie.

A young girl, dressed as a Zombie, found brutally murdered on Halloween night along a darkened roadway. Days later, a cryptic letter shows up in a police station from an anonymous writer claiming to be the killer and threatening more violence to come. Police issue a public warning. And an entire community is put on edge.

This bizarre scenario isn't playing out on some Los Angeles production studio back-lot, but rather the city of Armstrong, British Columbia. Read more about it here.

Police say they are taking the threatening letter seriously as their investigation into the Oct. 31 slaying of 18-year-old Taylor Van Diest continues. One of the big questions is whether the author of this note is truly the one responsible for Van Diest's death or simply the fictional ramblings of some sick, twisted soul.

I will never forget the day Candace Derksen’s frozen, bound body was found in an industrial shed in Elmwood, following weeks of desperate searching that included hundreds of local volunteers.

It was January 17, 1985 - my 10th birthday.

I didn’t know Candace, but like a lot of Winnipeggers, I felt like I did. As a naturally curious child, growing up in a neighbourhood not very far from where Candace lived, the story of the 13-year-old girl who mysteriously disappeared while walking home from school had captivated me.

And frightened me.

We all know lawyers often have their own language – and you wouldn’t be alone in wondering if they sometimes get paid by the word. To that end, I present to you one of my favourite finds, a remake of the classic “Twas The Night Before Christmas” poem as if it were written by a lawyer. The author of the piece – which is readily available online – is not known. But full credit to whoever sat down and came up with it!

Enjoy – And have a safe and happy holiday!

“Whereas, on or about the night prior to Christmas, there did occur at a certain improved piece of real property (hereinafter "the House") a general lack of stirring by all creatures therein, including, but not limited to a mouse.

If you're looking for a killer deal these days, Manitoba Justice seems to be the place to go shopping.

There have been a wave of "plea bargains" going down at the Winnipeg courthouse in which seemingly everyone but the criminal is walking away unhappy with the result.

The most recent example came Thursday, when a man was let out of jail after admitting his role in the random beating death of a teenage visitor to the city.

Daniel Henderson, 22, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in exchange for officials dropping a more serious charge of second-degree murder.

He claims he went searching for polka music – and ended up with a collection of child pornography.

Of all the excuses I’ve heard over the years, this one ranks right up there with the most absurd. And, thankfully, it was exposed as a fraud in a Winnipeg courtroom this week.

Frank Bushby is a 64-year-old retired grandfather who claims he isn’t very sophisticated around computers. Amazingly, he blames his lack of tech savvy on the fact he was caught with a stash of illicit pictures and a video portraying children as young as four being sexually abused by adults.

“I’m very embarrassed...I don’t ever want to see a computer again,” Bushby told court. His lawyer claims Bushby somehow accidentally downloaded the graphic material last year while searching for polka music files on the free online computer network known as “Limewire” in 2009.

Vancouver Police are taking their fight against crime online.

Beginning Thursday morning, the department began a unique 24-hour project which involves posting all calls for service at a brand new Twitter account they just set up.

Officials say they will take safeguards to ensure privacy and safety issues are addressed, such as withholding specific addresses and personal information in their Tweets.

This is the first time I’m aware of any Canadian police department doing this, and for that they should be applauded.

Spend enough time in the courthouse and you’ll see all kinds of unusual things – and names.

When my wife and I were going through potential baby names years ago, I found it to be a difficult process because too often I would associate one she liked with a case I had covered. Silly, yes, but it can be tough to get the stigma out of your head.

Fast forward to this week, where I saw a name that certainly jumped off the docket to me.

A guy named “Spyder” – that’s his legal name, not just a nickname – was in court facing a variety of robbery-related charges. It got me thinking about some of the other unusual names I’ve seen over the years and whether they play any role, however small, in a person getting involved in a criminal lifestyle.

I always cringe when I hear Winnipeg called the “Murder Capital Of Canada” – if for no other reason than it’s an inaccurate reflection of how our justice system usually deals with homicides.

 If recent history is any indication, we actually have very few murders in this city. But we sure have a ton of manslaughters, which might actually make us the “Sorry I didn’t really mean to/couldn’t for the necessary intent to murder you” capital of the country.

 Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, does it?

 Take the past week, in which we’ve seen three local murder cases wiped off the books and reduced to manslaughter: