December 12, 2024 • 39 mins
How does a community grapple with the haunting mystery of an unsolved murder? Renee Sweeney's story is one that has lingered in Sudbury for decades, and today we have her sister, Kim Sweeney, sharing intimate memories and revelations that paint a vivid picture of Renee's life and the relentless pursuit of justice. Kim takes us back to the fateful day in 1998 when her world was shattered, opening up about the profound impact and the indelible void left by her sister's untimely death. Through Kim's reflections, we get a glimpse of Renee's vibrant spirit, her love for music, and the zest for life that was abruptly stolen.
The investigation into Renee's murder brought innovative and sometimes controversial methods into the limelight. Groundbreaking advances in technology, such as Parabon DNA phenotyping and genetic genealogy, eventually shed light on this cold case, proving just how intertwined science and emotion can be in the quest for truth. As Kim recounts the highs and lows of the investigation, she reveals the extraordinary measures her family undertook, including consulting psychics, all in a desperate bid for closure. The chapter on technology and DNA shows us the tenacity required to push through years of uncertainty and the power of persistence in seeking justice.
Our conversation with Kim also delves into the arduous journey through the legal system, a path fraught with discouragements and a sense of betrayal when justice seemed elusive. Despite the eventual conviction and a sentence that felt inadequate, Kim's story is one of resilience and determination. She shares with us the importance of channeling grief into meaningful action, supporting causes that resonate with Renee's memory, and the painstaking process of rebuilding trust and safety in the wake of such a personal tragedy. Join us for an emotionally charged episode that underscores the enduring human spirit in the face of unimaginable loss.
About Renee Sweeney's Case
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jay Lane (00:01):
Get ready to be captivated and intrigued as we
delve into my life of spiritsand all things paranormal.
Join me, your host, ay Lane, onThe Laneway to Spirit, as I
share my stories and personalexperiences in the hopes of
inspiring others to exploretheir own spirituality.
(00:22):
Grab your favorite mug andsettle in and let's get started.
Hello and welcome to thelanguage spirit.
I am so excited to introduce toyou today a very special guest,
(00:44):
kim Sweeney, who is the sisterof Renee Sweeney, who was
brutally murdered at a videostore on Paris Street in Sudbury
on January 27th, 1998.
The brutal stabbing of23-year-old Renee rocked the
city of Sudbury to its core.
It was the Nickel Capital'sbiggest whodunit case the murder
(01:06):
of a young university studentthat went unresolved until the
police announced late in 2018that they had arrested a former
city resident who had beenliving in North Bay.
Today, we'll discuss thebackground of the case,
investigative insights, the roleof psychics in the case, and
(01:26):
Kim's advice or encouragementfor other families affected by
violence.
Welcome, Kim.
Thank you so much for joiningme here today.
Kim Sweeney (01:35):
Hi, ay, thanks so much for having me.
Jay Lane (01:38):
Oh my God, I'm so excited to talk about this.
Hasn't it been a while?
I mean, isn't it crazy, all ofthis stuff?
Kim Sweeney (01:45):
it's.
It's been a whole lifetimeactually, of everything you know
, right from right before ithappened and everything up to
today.
Jay Lane (01:56):
So it's been crazy, quite the quite the road oh, I
can't even imagine what you andyour family's been through, so I
wanted to ask you somequestions in regards to this.
Like, especially like what doyou remember about the day that
Renee was murdered?
Kim Sweeney (02:28):
home.
I went back to my apartment andI had a message on my answering
machine the actual machine andit was my stepfather just saying
I needed to get to the houseright away.
So I, my, I just thought, ohGod, it's my mom, cause my mom
had MS and you know she wasstill doing relatively well at
the time, and so I just kept.
I kept calling Renee at work,thinking, okay, well, we got to,
you know she'll meet me there,and the phone was busy.
(02:51):
So I just kept trying.
And then I thought, oh, shetook the phone off the hook and
she's going to be with mom.
So for some reason that day Ididn't end up going the normal
way.
I lived in New Sudbury, sonormally I would take Notre Dame
up Paris.
I didn't.
I went straight and I ended updoing Fruit Road to Regent.
(03:13):
I have no idea why.
Anyway, I got to the drivewayat my parents' house and thought
I'd see Renee's car here and Ididn't.
So I thought that was weird.
I came in the house and I canhear my mom crying.
So I thought, oh my God, what,you know what?
I had no idea what was going on.
(03:34):
So I came up and somebodygrabbed my coat.
I didn't know who it was, Ijust assumed it was a home care
worker who was here.
So they grabbed my coat.
Little did I know it was apolice officer.
And I was standing in thekitchen.
My stepfather says my mom wassitting at the table crying, and
(03:57):
my stepfather says to methere's been an accident, okay,
and at the store.
So I couldn't think what store.
And then, um, he said, uh,renee's been shot.
And I?
I just started looking for mycoat.
I needed to get to the hospitalto go see her.
(04:19):
So I was panicking, like youknow, trying to find my coat.
And then he said she's gone.
And I know I fell against thewall and fell down to the floor,
and that was pretty much what Iremember for that day, you know
(04:41):
.
And then after that it was like,well, you know who did this?
Why?
You know what do they want?
Why?
Why would you do this?
And um, then the fear set inbecause we didn't know.
I, I was told she was shot,because that's what originally
was told.
And how my parents found out isthey were actually watching the
(05:01):
new news and the?
Uh came up on the news andthey're like oh god, you know
that's renee's car there in theparking lot.
So my stepfather went down touh, to the paris plaza, and uh
said I, you know, I think mydaughter's in there, and because
(05:23):
at the time I don't think theyknew quite who it was, and yeah,
that's when I guess they keptthem there for a bit and then
they all came back here whilethey continued their
investigation it was just somany answered questions and it
changed your life as you know it, that moment, forever.
(05:48):
You know, when I didn't knowwhat I was coming to, I thought
maybe something was with my mom.
And when I was reaching out tomy best friend, my rock.
You know, when it comes to afamily situation where we have
to deal with things together,like when I lost, when we lost
our father in 1990 to suicide,we we gravitated towards each
(06:10):
other and, you know, dealt withit like that.
So I thought this was anothertime I was going to need her,
that we were going to have todeal with something.
Little did I know, you know itwas her this time.
Yeah, I understand.
Jay Lane (06:24):
So it was her this time.
Yeah, I understand.
So, speaking of her, what wasshe like as a person?
Because I know from speakingwith you what she's like as a
person.
But what was Renee like?
Kim Sweeney (06:39):
Renee was a strong, independent woman.
She, you know, didn't askanybody for anything.
She got the job done by herself, figured stuff out, and she was
a very talented musician.
She played in the SudburySymphony Orchestra.
(07:03):
She had a lot on the go.
She was kickboxing.
Jay Lane (07:07):
Wow.
Kim Sweeney (07:07):
So you know, she was doing stuff like that and
she kept herself busy and, yeah,she was awesome.
She was funny too.
She was funny I'm more thejoker, the kidder, but she had
her moments as well.
Jay Lane (07:21):
So Speaking of her.
How did the family cope withthe immediate aftermath of her
murder?
Kim Sweeney (07:31):
it.
It was more, so much more thancoping with her death.
You know, that morning my momgot up and walked around the
house and, and that afternoon mymom was bound to her wheelchair
, never walked again.
So you know, getting losingsomeone in itself is is is
(07:55):
horrible, getting used to.
You know you can't pick up thephone and call them, or when you
would normally get together,and all that.
So that changes everything,everything.
But in our situation it wasgetting my mom situated and
organized with how her life wasgoing to forever be.
You know like there was a lotthat needed to be done in the
(08:17):
house renovations to widen upthe doorways, change door
handles, even like the sink, thebathroom sink, you know, to
grab the tap, to turn the tapson.
That was impossible for her.
So just the little things, um,they had to put a chairlift in
the house, um, a chairlift goingdownstairs and a wheelchair
(08:40):
lift coming from the main up tothe like, from the main entrance
up to the like, from the mainentrance up to the main floor.
So you know it, it it waseverything and all that.
You know very sad that this iswhat.
What life is now Right,Especially for my, for my mom.
Jay Lane (09:00):
Yeah.
Kim Sweeney (09:00):
That was.
Jay Lane (09:01):
that was difficult so but for you too, because I
remember speaking to you and youwere so afraid to go out.
Kim Sweeney (09:11):
Oh, I was petrified .
If I was coming to your house,you needed to wait outside for
me.
We didn't have cell phones backthen.
I'm waiting for someone to walkme to my car, to take me out in
my own driveway to the car.
And if I'm coming to your house, you need to come to your
driveway and you need to comephysically, come to my car and
(09:34):
get me so that we could walk intogether.
In stores and doing everydaythings was difficult because of
the fear, but not only that.
You know like you get yourcomposure to walk in a store,
like, okay, I'm not going to cry, and then you go to the door
and there was the poster, theposter with the jacket that they
(09:55):
had found just soaked in herblood.
So you know, you'd see that asyou walk into every store, every
store, every place in Sudburyhad that and then you like get
all choked up and sometimes youjust turn around and leave and
you know now everything's online, but at that time it was like
(10:16):
newspaper stands everywhere andthere was a lot like this case
was definitely in the media, alot, you know.
So be it, because it it justshook the whole city.
But, um, yeah, so it was hardto, you know, get used to things
and stuff and yeah, yeah, justto cope, just to cope, yeah,
(10:41):
absolutely Can't even imagine.
Jay Lane (10:44):
Now I wanted to talk a bit about the investigation,
and we all know that the policeinvestigated this for quite a
while.
We know that they couldn't findanyone for a while.
But what was the big tera withthat investigation?
What stood out to you?
Kim Sweeney (11:01):
Oh, it absolutely has to be.
When they did the Parabon DNAphenotyping, that's where they
submit a blood sample and thatblood sample will actually
describe what you look like, thefeatures you have, the color of
eyes, color of hair, you know,total, total outline of your
(11:25):
face.
It's amazing what technologycan do now, like in 1998 they
only had points of dna, you know, and they would also use, like
um, still, if you were a, b, apause, you know a, b or yeah,
that kind of thing.
But now to just submit a littlebit of blood to them and they
(11:45):
can actually say what you looklike.
And if you look that up, thetwo, what the Parabon said he
should look like, and what heactually looks like is, it's
amazing, it's the same person,yeah, and when I was shown that
picture, I was asked do you knowthis guy?
(12:07):
And my answer is yeah, I do knowthat guy.
And then I was asked well,what's their name?
I don't know, this face is sofamiliar.
It was just.
It was frustrating because itwas like I had seen him before,
but, as it turns out, I hadnever seen him before.
(12:29):
You know, once we realized whoit actually was, but it was just
unbelievable.
It just made you feel I don'tknow what it was, but it was.
It was crazy.
So when that came out, you knowit generated a lot of new tips,
a lot of new tips, a lot of newtips oh yeah, but unfortunately
, none of those ever brought usto the right person.
(12:52):
it wasn't until, um, theancestry people started doing
that and then you put it in aged and that's when there was a
hit.
So if you, you know, it was awhile back, so there were two
hits within the case and one wasfrom each side of the family,
(13:12):
and then you have to do thehomework in between to find out.
You know where they meet andthen the descendants of that,
descendants of that.
So that took some time.
But, amazing technology, whenwe went to, when there was the
bail hearing in February I guessFebruary 2019, the judge said
(13:39):
he just said this is a caseabout science and only science.
You know as far.
So you know that was and it'strue.
That's what it came down toscience.
Jay Lane (13:52):
Because, they had another suspect before that.
I remember that and you knowthis became part of the case as
well.
I still remember we argued thatquite a bit.
But I mean, dna doesn't doesn'tlie right.
Kim Sweeney (14:06):
DNA does not lie.
No, yes, they did arrestsomebody, uh, in 1998, a few
weeks after, but, and that wasjust what, going by,
fingerprints which said were amatch, but then they, upon
further investigation, were nota match, and yeah, so that.
But when DNA was done this timearound it was one in a.
(14:30):
I believe he, the crown, hadsaid quintillion which means
that's 18 zeros behind thenumber.
Jay Lane (14:40):
I mean, how accurate is that?
I mean, it's crazy.
I find that so interesting.
I followed that case quiteclosely, as you all know, but I
wanted to talk to you about therole of psychics in this,
because I know that you had beenapproached by different
psychics.
What led you to consultpsychics when it came to her
murder?
Kim Sweeney (15:00):
So that's a whole thing in itself, like you're a
believer or you're not abeliever, but you become at
times so desperate for justanything.
You'll just take anything andeven if it's not right, you're
trying to make sense ofsomething.
I would have people call me allthe time oh, I think it's this
person because of you know, theygive you a scenario and you're
(15:23):
like, well, maybe that's what itis.
You know, they give you ascenario and you're like, well,
well, maybe that's what it is.
You know.
But originally I had Icontacted you and there was
people who there were girls fromthe villa, which is where my
mom was had gone to see you, andall that kept happening for
them was Renee kept coming in.
(15:44):
So I had a few of the girlsthere approached me and say you
know, do you believe in mediums?
And I said, well, I don't evenknow what a medium is.
So they explained stuff andthey said, well, renee keeps
coming through.
So I had set up an appointmentwith you and you had no idea who
I was or what, and the veryfirst thing you said to me was
(16:08):
she wants me to tell you itdidn't hurt, right?
And I just started crying andcrying.
And then you were like thinkingwhat's going on.
And then you went on and yousaid you know, when something
bad happens, adrenaline takesover and you know that's why you
don't feel anything.
And then you paused and yousaid, oh, is this the Sweeney
(16:33):
case?
And I said, yeah, so you kindof you.
You had said, you know, Iwasn't really, I haven't really,
I don't really know too toomuch about it.
But you know, all I got fromthat day was that she didn't
know him and that it didn't hurt, because that was my biggest
thing.
And if that's all I ever gotfrom that, I was okay because I
(16:56):
just thought the whole time whydid I, you know, why wasn't I
there to help her?
Why did she have to do this byherself?
(17:19):
That were said at the time fromyou that you had said, and you
know, but, um, my stepsisterwent to see you and you won't,
you won't remember this, Jay.
You said the street she livedon.
You described the area with thegreen stairs.
You described her boyfriendthat he wasn't from Sudbury.
You described, you said he wasfrom near water and you said,
(17:40):
like the Sioux, which is wherehe was from.
And then you said, but he's notthere either.
He is by water again.
And then you said Windsor, andthat's where he is.
You said you know he was, hewas a drummer, you know like
(18:00):
drumming hands, and you're likehe's a drummer and you came up.
He was.
He is a drummer, actually, he.
He just played at a bell park.
He does a kiss cover band, sohe was here this summer.
They did, they played here inSudbury.
So yeah, there was so much stuffthat you had said, but she
(18:24):
didn't know the details of stuff.
So you were just talking andshe was just going oh yeah, you
had my name, both my kids' names, my mom's name, with her not
even realizing what again thestory behind it, just that Renee
was coming in and just, youknow, I lived on Laura and there
(18:46):
was the green stairs.
You know, you just nailed itall and then so I had to make an
appointment with you after that, and that's when you said his
name's Robert, robert, robert,that's his name.
R-t, r-t, rutt, r-r-rutt,r-r-rutt.
(19:07):
Yeah, you kept saying that.
And I had somebody else tell meRob, yeah, robert.
So that was weird.
I had another lady tell me thatshe could smell blood.
She could smell blood.
So at that time, if she couldsmell blood in a hospital, and
(19:32):
at that time I thought, well,there was a lot of blood Little
did we know he was takingpeople's blood at the hospital
in North Bay, yeah, yeah.
So you know, there there's somany things that have come
through.
You just kind of go like, wow,this is, this is unbelievable.
How do?
How does anybody know?
(19:52):
Right, like, but the name yeah.
Yeah, no right like, but thename, yeah, yeah, robert, which
is weird because it's not a name.
Jay Lane (20:05):
He goes by.
Yeah, but it's still.
Yeah, it was the last name.
It was rut.
I still remember our art artarties kept on seeing and his
last name was right, yep, yeah.
So, yeah, kind of weird for me,but you know it's funny because
I was visited by the police onthree different occasions and it
was the last officer that Ispoke with who I felt was going
(20:29):
in the wrong direction and Itold him that I felt it was more
based on a sexual assault thanit was a robbery.
And I also gave him his nameRobert RT or Rutt.
Yeah, and I still remember thatand I stuck to that because
that's what I was hearing and solittle did I know.
(20:49):
His last name was right and soit was interesting.
So did any of these psychicinsights lead to any new leads
or evidence in the case?
Did you talk to the policeabout this?
Kim Sweeney (21:01):
Every time I had new information, I always
reached out to Officer WestonSergeant Weston and, yeah, he
probably thinks I'm crazy withthe stuff that I would come like
I got another one, I would sendhim screenshots of
conversations and and, becausesometimes I'd feel like, are
(21:22):
people messaging me and reachingout to me because they think I
can just go and arrest somebodylike, yeah, you know, like I had
this superpower or something.
But you know, and he alwaystook everything I said and, you
know, gave me my dignity, so hedidn't make me feel crazy, and
because you know, some of thestories I had heard that I
(21:43):
relate to him I'm sure werepretty far-fetched, but you're
desperate.
You're desperate after all.
This time something has to youknow something.
So I relayed everything to himand he said, yes, there was one
time in particular, I was at thevet's office and this is where
(22:05):
it kind of hits you hard,because you look at everybody
you like, accuse everybody inyour mind if they have some sort
of similarity.
Any man with glasses, right,you'd be like it was you.
Well, it had to be you, youknow.
So, yeah, I was sitting therewith my son and waiting for my
dog and the lady came out andshe says oh, I'm in there with
(22:29):
my brother, yeah, his cat.
I drove him here.
His cat's really sick, I don'tyou know.
He's going to take this reallyhard.
So I got a little bit of youknow insight on it.
And then the brother came outand I froze I'm, that's him,
that's, that's him.
Oh, my God, that's him.
And I want to walk up to himand take a picture and and and
(22:51):
you, there's so much I want todo, but what if it's not him?
Right?
You, there's so much I want todo, but what if it's not him?
Right I?
have to remember that too.
What if it's not?
So I I like instant crying,just tears in my eyes.
I froze.
So all I could do was um, getthe license plate they drove
away with.
And I reached out and I saidhere's the situation, here's
(23:15):
what happened, here's thelicense plate number.
And it was ran through.
And I said now, this is thesister of the guy.
So he ran it through and I gotback yeah, he was cleared.
He was cleared in 1998 throughDNA.
(23:36):
Oh okay, so I'm not crazy,because you guys must have
thought it was him too.
So, but you know it to sitthere and think that you know I
judge this person and you can'thelp it.
But you the guilt.
You feel like I judge thisperson because what if it was?
Jay Lane (23:53):
yeah what?
Kim Sweeney (23:54):
what if it was him?
Yeah, you know, because you're,you're angry that after all
these years of you know what youdid to my family, what you did
to her, what you put her throughyeah you know the out, the
outcome of everything.
You know so, but that was yeah,that was just one of the many
things that had happened thatthey took it and listened to me,
(24:17):
and you know, I never gotanswers or names of people who.
It was just that you know.
No, it can't be that person,because you know they had an
alibi or they were.
You know, one lady alwaysreached out to me.
It's my husband.
I know it was him.
I know, and I relay thatmessage and they say, no, it
(24:39):
wasn't him.
He was incarcerated at the time, so it couldn't have been him.
You know, she just wanted totry to nail her husband for
something that he didn't do.
So you know, and there's a lotof that, surprisingly enough,
there's a lot of that.
Oh, yes.
I try to frame people or eventry to say I did it, so I
understand.
Jay Lane (24:58):
I would get a lot of calls from people, or even
clients, that would come to seeme and tell me things about her
murder, and of course you know Ihave a responsibility that if I
have somebody who tells mesomething I have to report it,
right?
Kim Sweeney (25:14):
Yeah, tells me something.
Jay Lane (25:15):
I have to report it, right.
Yeah, like done a few, you know, just to put it out there.
Not that I felt that it hadanything to do with it, but it's
still my responsibility to putit out there to make sure that
they look at every single avenue.
And it was so hard not to talkto you about certain things
because there were things thatwere revealed to me that I
couldn't discuss with anybody,and so it was interesting.
(25:36):
But I want to bring somethingup which is kind of different.
But you know the banker boxes.
So they had some banker boxesthat they had switched over for
the case, and they had a lot ofbanker boxes and a police
officer had burnt those boxesand I received a photo of that
(25:56):
banker box being burnt and ithad the most amazing outline of
a person with their arm up andthe investigating officer one of
them, I should say had sent itto me and said like I don't know
how you feel about this, butisn't this wild?
And it really was.
And I understood that youreceived that picture later.
Kim Sweeney (26:20):
I did.
I did.
The officer who took thepicture came here after it was
all said and done and gave methat and I said that was you.
I've heard about this picture.
I can't believe that was you.
And he said it was me.
It was just a lot easier todestroy them that way.
So he brought them home and didthat.
(26:45):
But I just want to show yousomething.
Jay Lane (26:47):
Oh, there it is.
It's on the wall.
I got it blown up, okay.
Yeah, it's an amazing picturebecause it looks like the
outline of your sister and itdoes it does.
I mean her head, her face, likeit's really quite amazing that
photo, and when I saw it I hadshivers on my shivers, you know
(27:08):
what I mean.
Kim Sweeney (27:08):
How could you not?
You know you get people to lookat that and most the most
common reaction I have is noreaction except a jaw wide open
and then instant tears inpeople's face.
Yeah, you know the tears thatcome down and you're like do you
see what I see?
Jay Lane (27:26):
and yeah, everybody sees it.
Kim Sweeney (27:28):
Oh, I couldn't believe it.
I all I said was that was you.
Yeah, you did that.
Jay Lane (27:35):
Yeah.
Kim Sweeney (27:36):
And he was not a believer at all.
But you know, and that picturewas taken.
He said he was just documentingyou know the process of getting
, you know destroying everything, and so he had a few other
pictures.
But you know how a picture'slive on your phone?
Yes, when you play to have thatpicture go live, nowhere do you
(27:58):
see that.
Yes, and when you let go of itat the end it just jumps to that
.
Yeah, it's just crazy, it'samazing to yeah, just shivers.
It just gives you shivers tosee that and to know but yeah,
all I said was you, that was you.
But yeah, all I said was you,that was you.
Yeah, but yeah, oh my goodness,you know.
Jay Lane (28:21):
But I have to say like they were pretty patient and
very good.
I remember, you know, speakingto one of the officers and just
you know again, just you know,reiterating that I felt that
they were going in the wrongdirection and I received such a
nice thank you letter, you know,reiterating that I felt that
they were going in the wrongdirection and I received such a
nice thank you letter, and thatwas the first for me in working
(28:45):
with police to receive a thankyou letter and encouraging them
to, you know, to continue going,and so it was really great.
But, speaking of which, how hasyour view on justice and
closure evolved over the years,like as a result of all of this
that happened to you?
Kim Sweeney (28:59):
So the officers, through everything, were all
absolutely amazing.
I can't thank them enough fortheir kindness and compassion
that they showed me and myfamily that I'll never forget
them and all of them.
You know he was sentenced to 12years.
(29:23):
Yes, I feel that was anabsolute slap in the face.
Yes, that was an absolute slapin the face.
It took a long time.
I mean, he was arrestedDecember 11th 2018.
We went to for a bail hearing inFebruary 2019.
That was a three-day bailhearing, so we had to wait till
(29:47):
oh, was it the end of March tosee if he was going to get bail
or not.
And that was denied.
And there was.
You know what.
You don't realize the process,how much there is.
Like this case was more thanjust okay.
There was a bail hearing andthen there was the trial.
There was so much more inbetween Like I believe they had
(30:09):
figured it out that it wasprobably worth about six,
another six weeks of full timesitting in court, but broken up
in mornings, right, oh, amorning of this, a morning of
that and a day of this and theall the pre-trial stuff.
And you know that was indicted.
So it was.
You know, know, we didn't.
We missed a lot of stuff goingthrough everything when they
(30:31):
they wanted to have a change ofvenue.
You know, the judge felt heshould be able to get a fair
trial here in Sudbury, which isokay either way.
I just you know, it's about thescience and the evidence and and
to me, there was enough of itto prove that this is the person
.
Because, you know, some peoplesay, oh, I'm happy, someone's
(30:52):
paying for it.
No, you don't want someone topay, you want the right person,
the correct person, the personwho did this, the person who is
responsible to be the one thatpays, not just anybody
responsible to be the one thatpays, not not just anybody.
And, and you know, I had secondthoughts.
Well, are you sure?
And I remember saying are yousure this is the right guy?
Yes, yes, without a doubt,without a shadow of a doubt,
(31:15):
without a shadow of a doubt.
So you know, that being said,there was a lot to go through
and some stuff you just go.
What a waste of time, what anabsolute waste of time,
taxpayers, money.
But that's the process.
And, uh, like I said, you know,after the six weeks of trial, 12
(31:37):
years you know, the judge askedthe jury what do you think he
should get for a sentence?
And I believe half of them saidthe maximum of 25 years.
Yes, the lowest was 22 years.
I believe 20 or 22 years, Ican't quite remember right now,
(31:58):
but 12, that's a slap in theface.
He's up for parole shortly, youknow.
Yeah, so I mean it doesn't meanhe will get it, it's still a
life sentence.
You know this was originally afirst degree murder charge and
then it was dropped down tosecond degree murder and, um,
that's not fair, because thiswas indeed first degree.
(32:21):
The fact that there were twoseparate attacks that had
happened, that he went to thebathroom and washed his hands,
so when he came out of thebathroom, it may not have been
intent when he won in that store, but when he came out of the
bathroom that was definitely,you know, intent to kill her.
So but you know there's nothingI can do about that and that
(32:44):
they actually have the correctperson and now he's serving his
time.
Jay Lane (32:52):
Yes.
And rightfully so.
So, with all of that being said, what message or hope do you
wish to convey to those dealingwith similar tragedies?
Convey?
Kim Sweeney (33:04):
to those dealing with similar tragedies Don't
give up.
The police are trying hard, youknow they want to solve
everything they can.
Out there, Fortunately,technology is just booming the
technology with the sciencebehind everything, you know.
That's why we are where we, whyI got to get through this was
(33:26):
who'd have thought a littleblood sample would show you
exactly what you look like, yourcolor of eyes, color of hair,
Like it?
Just it's crazy, but thescience will help, and the
police and everybody's doingtheir hardest to get through all
of this.
And you know as horrible it isto just sit back and wait.
(33:47):
That's all you can do.
Yeah, and, and like I said, I,I gave every little detail, I, I
, I related to them and as crazyas they thought I was, they,
they gave me my dignity and said, okay, we'll check into it.
But, um, life goes on.
So you, you on, so you have tomove forward.
Jay Lane (34:08):
Yeah, you do, you do, and at least you can sleep at
night knowing that he's behindbars.
Kim Sweeney (34:15):
I sleep at night now because getting sleep before
in the past, after thishappened, the fear if you heard
a little crack of something itreally, it really messed with me
as, as a person who I am, itwas.
It was very difficult.
You don't trust people, so butI'm proud to say that since the
(34:40):
arrest I've taken everythingthat I've bottled up and I put
it towards good and um, you know, raising money for stuff.
I raised some money for the MSsociety and, uh, pet save our
local shelter here They'vethey've gotten some money.
I've raised almost $10,000 forChrist the King church.
(35:01):
So you know it's uh, I'm justgonna push forward and, you know
, do good things with, be a goodperson.
I always tell my kids, you know, if you go to bed tonight and
you feel good about your day,then that was good.
You shouldn't go to bed andfeel bad that.
You know I should have held thedoor for somebody or always
(35:22):
make the right decision.
Jay Lane (35:24):
Yeah, it's funny because just before our
interview I had gone groceryshopping and I saw an honoring
Renee sticker on someone's truckwindow of an old Chevy.
Kim Sweeney (35:36):
Yes, I did.
Jay Lane (35:37):
And for me that was a sign and I thought, oh my God, I
can't believe I'm seeing this,because I remember how many you
had given out of those stickers.
Kim Sweeney (35:48):
There was a lot.
There was a lot.
You saw one today.
That's amazing.
Jay Lane (35:54):
It freaked me right out and by the time I came back
out the guy was gone, because Ireally wanted to take a picture.
Kim Sweeney (36:00):
I love when I see those.
It just kind of, you know, youfeel the support from the
community and there was a lot ofsupport from the community and
you know I'm thankful for that.
Jay Lane (36:13):
Yeah.
Kim Sweeney (36:13):
And I'm thankful the police never gave up and
kept pushing forward and eventrying out the new technology
you know putting through to.
So it's unbelievable.
Jay Lane (36:24):
I'm, I'm thankful you, you know it's not going to take
back, it's not going to getrenee back, but it, um, when you
see that it just warms yourheart it really does, and you
just, I just think, I look atthem and I look at the vehicle
and I just say, yeah, you know Iknow how happy they were
because they were allcelebrating, all the police
officers were celebrating, whenthe arrest was made, and you
(36:48):
know it was just such a bigrelief, I think, for everybody,
and it created quite a buzz inthe community, but it was a good
buzz, like you know.
It was a good buzz.
Yeah, it was a good buzz,instead of the buzz that we had
before.
Yeah, everyone was just wantingto resolve this so badly, and
so the police did their job andI'm really happy to say that it
(37:09):
got the right person and it'sjust, it's wonderful.
Kim, I want to thank you somuch for putting your heart out
there today, because I know it'snot easy to talk about, and
especially you know your sister.
She's been gone for such a longtime now, but it's funny
because I was held up just a fewmonths before that happened and
(37:32):
I felt, yeah, and I felt, and Iwas so how would I say it?
I was traumatized by it and, andthe thing is, I felt that for
some reason that brought ustogether somehow, and so we've
known each other for quite awhile and I'm so happy to say
that we've become friends.
Kim Sweeney (37:51):
We have.
I'm so happy we've becomefriends yeah.
And I'm thankful for yourencouragement and I'm you know.
You've been wonderful to me andmy family.
Jay Lane (38:00):
Yes.
Kim Sweeney (38:01):
And.
Jay Lane (38:02):
I love your family, though I still remember that
reading I did at your house.
Remember we did yes.
And I love your family, thoughI still remember that reading I
did at your house.
Kim Sweeney (38:08):
Remember we did.
Yes, you came here.
Yes, helped me figure out whowas the ghost or whatever I had
in my house.
You smudged my house for mebecause there was a lot of
activity going on in here?
Yes, there was, and you got it.
I'll never forget thecantaloupe, oh the cantaloupe.
Oh, the cantaloupe.
Yeah, the frozen cantaloupe.
(38:29):
You had no idea what was sofunny.
But and the three hearts, yes.
Jay Lane (38:34):
Three hearts, oh my God, you can go on, and, on, and
on.
Kim Sweeney (38:38):
Yeah.
Jay Lane (38:39):
Thank you so much.
Like I said, and I'm sureyou're going to make a
difference for so many peoplethat are going through this
tragedy.
I mean, there are so manyunsolved cases out there missing
people, all kinds of things andpeople go through so much
trauma and and uncertainty whenthese things happen and it's
reassuring to hear someone elsetalk about it and they get the
(39:00):
strength from that.
So I know you're going to helpso many people just with this
interview.
So thank you so much for that.
Kim Sweeney (39:06):
Thank you for having me.
This was great, thank you.
Jay Lane (39:10):
I want to thank everybody for listening in today
.
I hope you have an absolutelybeautiful week ahead and until
next time, we'll talk to youagain real soon.
Bye, bye, everyone.
Thanks for listening in.
I hope you enjoyed today'sLaneway Way to Spirit.
To learn more about me, visitmy website at mediumjaylane.
com or my socials on Facebookand Instagram.
Get ready to be captivated and intrigued as we
delve into my life of spiritsand all things paranormal.
Join me, your host, ay Lane, onThe Laneway to Spirit, as I
share my stories and personalexperiences in the hopes of
inspiring others to exploretheir own spirituality.
(00:22):
Grab your favorite mug andsettle in and let's get started.
Hello and welcome to thelanguage spirit.
I am so excited to introduce toyou today a very special guest,
(00:44):
kim Sweeney, who is the sisterof Renee Sweeney, who was
brutally murdered at a videostore on Paris Street in Sudbury
on January 27th, 1998.
The brutal stabbing of23-year-old Renee rocked the
city of Sudbury to its core.
It was the Nickel Capital'sbiggest whodunit case the murder
(01:06):
of a young university studentthat went unresolved until the
police announced late in 2018that they had arrested a former
city resident who had beenliving in North Bay.
Today, we'll discuss thebackground of the case,
investigative insights, the roleof psychics in the case, and
(01:26):
Kim's advice or encouragementfor other families affected by
violence.
Welcome, Kim.
Thank you so much for joiningme here today.
Kim Sweeney (01:35):
Hi, ay, thanks so much for having me.
Jay Lane (01:38):
Oh my God, I'm so excited to talk about this.
Hasn't it been a while?
I mean, isn't it crazy, all ofthis stuff?
Kim Sweeney (01:45):
it's.
It's been a whole lifetimeactually, of everything you know
, right from right before ithappened and everything up to
today.
Jay Lane (01:56):
So it's been crazy, quite the quite the road oh, I
can't even imagine what you andyour family's been through, so I
wanted to ask you somequestions in regards to this.
Like, especially like what doyou remember about the day that
Renee was murdered?
Kim Sweeney (02:28):
home.
I went back to my apartment andI had a message on my answering
machine the actual machine andit was my stepfather just saying
I needed to get to the houseright away.
So I, my, I just thought, ohGod, it's my mom, cause my mom
had MS and you know she wasstill doing relatively well at
the time, and so I just kept.
I kept calling Renee at work,thinking, okay, well, we got to,
you know she'll meet me there,and the phone was busy.
(02:51):
So I just kept trying.
And then I thought, oh, shetook the phone off the hook and
she's going to be with mom.
So for some reason that day Ididn't end up going the normal
way.
I lived in New Sudbury, sonormally I would take Notre Dame
up Paris.
I didn't.
I went straight and I ended updoing Fruit Road to Regent.
(03:13):
I have no idea why.
Anyway, I got to the drivewayat my parents' house and thought
I'd see Renee's car here and Ididn't.
So I thought that was weird.
I came in the house and I canhear my mom crying.
So I thought, oh my God, what,you know what?
I had no idea what was going on.
(03:34):
So I came up and somebodygrabbed my coat.
I didn't know who it was, Ijust assumed it was a home care
worker who was here.
So they grabbed my coat.
Little did I know it was apolice officer.
And I was standing in thekitchen.
My stepfather says my mom wassitting at the table crying, and
(03:57):
my stepfather says to methere's been an accident, okay,
and at the store.
So I couldn't think what store.
And then, um, he said, uh,renee's been shot.
And I?
I just started looking for mycoat.
I needed to get to the hospitalto go see her.
(04:19):
So I was panicking, like youknow, trying to find my coat.
And then he said she's gone.
And I know I fell against thewall and fell down to the floor,
and that was pretty much what Iremember for that day, you know
(04:41):
.
And then after that it was like,well, you know who did this?
Why?
You know what do they want?
Why?
Why would you do this?
And um, then the fear set inbecause we didn't know.
I, I was told she was shot,because that's what originally
was told.
And how my parents found out isthey were actually watching the
(05:01):
new news and the?
Uh came up on the news andthey're like oh god, you know
that's renee's car there in theparking lot.
So my stepfather went down touh, to the paris plaza, and uh
said I, you know, I think mydaughter's in there, and because
(05:23):
at the time I don't think theyknew quite who it was, and yeah,
that's when I guess they keptthem there for a bit and then
they all came back here whilethey continued their
investigation it was just somany answered questions and it
changed your life as you know it, that moment, forever.
(05:48):
You know, when I didn't knowwhat I was coming to, I thought
maybe something was with my mom.
And when I was reaching out tomy best friend, my rock.
You know, when it comes to afamily situation where we have
to deal with things together,like when I lost, when we lost
our father in 1990 to suicide,we we gravitated towards each
(06:10):
other and, you know, dealt withit like that.
So I thought this was anothertime I was going to need her,
that we were going to have todeal with something.
Little did I know, you know itwas her this time.
Yeah, I understand.
Jay Lane (06:24):
So it was her this time.
Yeah, I understand.
So, speaking of her, what wasshe like as a person?
Because I know from speakingwith you what she's like as a
person.
But what was Renee like?
Kim Sweeney (06:39):
Renee was a strong, independent woman.
She, you know, didn't askanybody for anything.
She got the job done by herself, figured stuff out, and she was
a very talented musician.
She played in the SudburySymphony Orchestra.
(07:03):
She had a lot on the go.
She was kickboxing.
Jay Lane (07:07):
Wow.
Kim Sweeney (07:07):
So you know, she was doing stuff like that and
she kept herself busy and, yeah,she was awesome.
She was funny too.
She was funny I'm more thejoker, the kidder, but she had
her moments as well.
Jay Lane (07:21):
So Speaking of her.
How did the family cope withthe immediate aftermath of her
murder?
Kim Sweeney (07:31):
it.
It was more, so much more thancoping with her death.
You know, that morning my momgot up and walked around the
house and, and that afternoon mymom was bound to her wheelchair
, never walked again.
So you know, getting losingsomeone in itself is is is
(07:55):
horrible, getting used to.
You know you can't pick up thephone and call them, or when you
would normally get together,and all that.
So that changes everything,everything.
But in our situation it wasgetting my mom situated and
organized with how her life wasgoing to forever be.
You know like there was a lotthat needed to be done in the
(08:17):
house renovations to widen upthe doorways, change door
handles, even like the sink, thebathroom sink, you know, to
grab the tap, to turn the tapson.
That was impossible for her.
So just the little things, um,they had to put a chairlift in
the house, um, a chairlift goingdownstairs and a wheelchair
(08:40):
lift coming from the main up tothe like, from the main entrance
up to the like, from the mainentrance up to the main floor.
So you know it, it it waseverything and all that.
You know very sad that this iswhat.
What life is now Right,Especially for my, for my mom.
Jay Lane (09:00):
Yeah.
Kim Sweeney (09:00):
That was.
Jay Lane (09:01):
that was difficult so but for you too, because I
remember speaking to you and youwere so afraid to go out.
Kim Sweeney (09:11):
Oh, I was petrified .
If I was coming to your house,you needed to wait outside for
me.
We didn't have cell phones backthen.
I'm waiting for someone to walkme to my car, to take me out in
my own driveway to the car.
And if I'm coming to your house, you need to come to your
driveway and you need to comephysically, come to my car and
(09:34):
get me so that we could walk intogether.
In stores and doing everydaythings was difficult because of
the fear, but not only that.
You know like you get yourcomposure to walk in a store,
like, okay, I'm not going to cry, and then you go to the door
and there was the poster, theposter with the jacket that they
(09:55):
had found just soaked in herblood.
So you know, you'd see that asyou walk into every store, every
store, every place in Sudburyhad that and then you like get
all choked up and sometimes youjust turn around and leave and
you know now everything's online, but at that time it was like
(10:16):
newspaper stands everywhere andthere was a lot like this case
was definitely in the media, alot, you know.
So be it, because it it justshook the whole city.
But, um, yeah, so it was hardto, you know, get used to things
and stuff and yeah, yeah, justto cope, just to cope, yeah,
(10:41):
absolutely Can't even imagine.
Jay Lane (10:44):
Now I wanted to talk a bit about the investigation,
and we all know that the policeinvestigated this for quite a
while.
We know that they couldn't findanyone for a while.
But what was the big tera withthat investigation?
What stood out to you?
Kim Sweeney (11:01):
Oh, it absolutely has to be.
When they did the Parabon DNAphenotyping, that's where they
submit a blood sample and thatblood sample will actually
describe what you look like, thefeatures you have, the color of
eyes, color of hair, you know,total, total outline of your
(11:25):
face.
It's amazing what technologycan do now, like in 1998 they
only had points of dna, you know, and they would also use, like
um, still, if you were a, b, apause, you know a, b or yeah,
that kind of thing.
But now to just submit a littlebit of blood to them and they
(11:45):
can actually say what you looklike.
And if you look that up, thetwo, what the Parabon said he
should look like, and what heactually looks like is, it's
amazing, it's the same person,yeah, and when I was shown that
picture, I was asked do you knowthis guy?
(12:07):
And my answer is yeah, I do knowthat guy.
And then I was asked well,what's their name?
I don't know, this face is sofamiliar.
It was just.
It was frustrating because itwas like I had seen him before,
but, as it turns out, I hadnever seen him before.
(12:29):
You know, once we realized whoit actually was, but it was just
unbelievable.
It just made you feel I don'tknow what it was, but it was.
It was crazy.
So when that came out, you knowit generated a lot of new tips,
a lot of new tips, a lot of newtips oh yeah, but unfortunately
, none of those ever brought usto the right person.
(12:52):
it wasn't until, um, theancestry people started doing
that and then you put it in aged and that's when there was a
hit.
So if you, you know, it was awhile back, so there were two
hits within the case and one wasfrom each side of the family,
(13:12):
and then you have to do thehomework in between to find out.
You know where they meet andthen the descendants of that,
descendants of that.
So that took some time.
But, amazing technology, whenwe went to, when there was the
bail hearing in February I guessFebruary 2019, the judge said
(13:39):
he just said this is a caseabout science and only science.
You know as far.
So you know that was and it'strue.
That's what it came down toscience.
Jay Lane (13:52):
Because, they had another suspect before that.
I remember that and you knowthis became part of the case as
well.
I still remember we argued thatquite a bit.
But I mean, dna doesn't doesn'tlie right.
Kim Sweeney (14:06):
DNA does not lie.
No, yes, they did arrestsomebody, uh, in 1998, a few
weeks after, but, and that wasjust what, going by,
fingerprints which said were amatch, but then they, upon
further investigation, were nota match, and yeah, so that.
But when DNA was done this timearound it was one in a.
(14:30):
I believe he, the crown, hadsaid quintillion which means
that's 18 zeros behind thenumber.
Jay Lane (14:40):
I mean, how accurate is that?
I mean, it's crazy.
I find that so interesting.
I followed that case quiteclosely, as you all know, but I
wanted to talk to you about therole of psychics in this,
because I know that you had beenapproached by different
psychics.
What led you to consultpsychics when it came to her
murder?
Kim Sweeney (15:00):
So that's a whole thing in itself, like you're a
believer or you're not abeliever, but you become at
times so desperate for justanything.
You'll just take anything andeven if it's not right, you're
trying to make sense ofsomething.
I would have people call me allthe time oh, I think it's this
person because of you know, theygive you a scenario and you're
(15:23):
like, well, maybe that's what itis.
You know, they give you ascenario and you're like, well,
well, maybe that's what it is.
You know.
But originally I had Icontacted you and there was
people who there were girls fromthe villa, which is where my
mom was had gone to see you, andall that kept happening for
them was Renee kept coming in.
(15:44):
So I had a few of the girlsthere approached me and say you
know, do you believe in mediums?
And I said, well, I don't evenknow what a medium is.
So they explained stuff andthey said, well, renee keeps
coming through.
So I had set up an appointmentwith you and you had no idea who
I was or what, and the veryfirst thing you said to me was
(16:08):
she wants me to tell you itdidn't hurt, right?
And I just started crying andcrying.
And then you were like thinkingwhat's going on.
And then you went on and yousaid you know, when something
bad happens, adrenaline takesover and you know that's why you
don't feel anything.
And then you paused and yousaid, oh, is this the Sweeney
(16:33):
case?
And I said, yeah, so you kindof you.
You had said, you know, Iwasn't really, I haven't really,
I don't really know too toomuch about it.
But you know, all I got fromthat day was that she didn't
know him and that it didn't hurt, because that was my biggest
thing.
And if that's all I ever gotfrom that, I was okay because I
(16:56):
just thought the whole time whydid I, you know, why wasn't I
there to help her?
Why did she have to do this byherself?
(17:19):
That were said at the time fromyou that you had said, and you
know, but, um, my stepsisterwent to see you and you won't,
you won't remember this, Jay.
You said the street she livedon.
You described the area with thegreen stairs.
You described her boyfriendthat he wasn't from Sudbury.
You described, you said he wasfrom near water and you said,
(17:40):
like the Sioux, which is wherehe was from.
And then you said, but he's notthere either.
He is by water again.
And then you said Windsor, andthat's where he is.
You said you know he was, hewas a drummer, you know like
(18:00):
drumming hands, and you're likehe's a drummer and you came up.
He was.
He is a drummer, actually, he.
He just played at a bell park.
He does a kiss cover band, sohe was here this summer.
They did, they played here inSudbury.
So yeah, there was so much stuffthat you had said, but she
(18:24):
didn't know the details of stuff.
So you were just talking andshe was just going oh yeah, you
had my name, both my kids' names, my mom's name, with her not
even realizing what again thestory behind it, just that Renee
was coming in and just, youknow, I lived on Laura and there
(18:46):
was the green stairs.
You know, you just nailed itall and then so I had to make an
appointment with you after that, and that's when you said his
name's Robert, robert, robert,that's his name.
R-t, r-t, rutt, r-r-rutt,r-r-rutt.
(19:07):
Yeah, you kept saying that.
And I had somebody else tell meRob, yeah, robert.
So that was weird.
I had another lady tell me thatshe could smell blood.
She could smell blood.
So at that time, if she couldsmell blood in a hospital, and
(19:32):
at that time I thought, well,there was a lot of blood Little
did we know he was takingpeople's blood at the hospital
in North Bay, yeah, yeah.
So you know, there there's somany things that have come
through.
You just kind of go like, wow,this is, this is unbelievable.
How do?
How does anybody know?
(19:52):
Right, like, but the name yeah.
Yeah, no right like, but thename, yeah, yeah, robert, which
is weird because it's not a name.
Jay Lane (20:05):
He goes by.
Yeah, but it's still.
Yeah, it was the last name.
It was rut.
I still remember our art artarties kept on seeing and his
last name was right, yep, yeah.
So, yeah, kind of weird for me,but you know it's funny because
I was visited by the police onthree different occasions and it
was the last officer that Ispoke with who I felt was going
(20:29):
in the wrong direction and Itold him that I felt it was more
based on a sexual assault thanit was a robbery.
And I also gave him his nameRobert RT or Rutt.
Yeah, and I still remember thatand I stuck to that because
that's what I was hearing and solittle did I know.
(20:49):
His last name was right and soit was interesting.
So did any of these psychicinsights lead to any new leads
or evidence in the case?
Did you talk to the policeabout this?
Kim Sweeney (21:01):
Every time I had new information, I always
reached out to Officer WestonSergeant Weston and, yeah, he
probably thinks I'm crazy withthe stuff that I would come like
I got another one, I would sendhim screenshots of
conversations and and, becausesometimes I'd feel like, are
(21:22):
people messaging me and reachingout to me because they think I
can just go and arrest somebodylike, yeah, you know, like I had
this superpower or something.
But you know, and he alwaystook everything I said and, you
know, gave me my dignity, so hedidn't make me feel crazy, and
because you know, some of thestories I had heard that I
(21:43):
relate to him I'm sure werepretty far-fetched, but you're
desperate.
You're desperate after all.
This time something has to youknow something.
So I relayed everything to himand he said, yes, there was one
time in particular, I was at thevet's office and this is where
(22:05):
it kind of hits you hard,because you look at everybody
you like, accuse everybody inyour mind if they have some sort
of similarity.
Any man with glasses, right,you'd be like it was you.
Well, it had to be you, youknow.
So, yeah, I was sitting therewith my son and waiting for my
dog and the lady came out andshe says oh, I'm in there with
(22:29):
my brother, yeah, his cat.
I drove him here.
His cat's really sick, I don'tyou know.
He's going to take this reallyhard.
So I got a little bit of youknow insight on it.
And then the brother came outand I froze I'm, that's him,
that's, that's him.
Oh, my God, that's him.
And I want to walk up to himand take a picture and and and
(22:51):
you, there's so much I want todo, but what if it's not him?
Right?
You, there's so much I want todo, but what if it's not him?
Right I?
have to remember that too.
What if it's not?
So I I like instant crying,just tears in my eyes.
I froze.
So all I could do was um, getthe license plate they drove
away with.
And I reached out and I saidhere's the situation, here's
(23:15):
what happened, here's thelicense plate number.
And it was ran through.
And I said now, this is thesister of the guy.
So he ran it through and I gotback yeah, he was cleared.
He was cleared in 1998 throughDNA.
(23:36):
Oh okay, so I'm not crazy,because you guys must have
thought it was him too.
So, but you know it to sitthere and think that you know I
judge this person and you can'thelp it.
But you the guilt.
You feel like I judge thisperson because what if it was?
Jay Lane (23:53):
yeah what?
Kim Sweeney (23:54):
what if it was him?
Yeah, you know, because you're,you're angry that after all
these years of you know what youdid to my family, what you did
to her, what you put her throughyeah you know the out, the
outcome of everything.
You know so, but that was yeah,that was just one of the many
things that had happened thatthey took it and listened to me,
(24:17):
and you know, I never gotanswers or names of people who.
It was just that you know.
No, it can't be that person,because you know they had an
alibi or they were.
You know, one lady alwaysreached out to me.
It's my husband.
I know it was him.
I know, and I relay thatmessage and they say, no, it
(24:39):
wasn't him.
He was incarcerated at the time, so it couldn't have been him.
You know, she just wanted totry to nail her husband for
something that he didn't do.
So you know, and there's a lotof that, surprisingly enough,
there's a lot of that.
Oh, yes.
I try to frame people or eventry to say I did it, so I
understand.
Jay Lane (24:58):
I would get a lot of calls from people, or even
clients, that would come to seeme and tell me things about her
murder, and of course you know Ihave a responsibility that if I
have somebody who tells mesomething I have to report it,
right?
Kim Sweeney (25:14):
Yeah, tells me something.
Jay Lane (25:15):
I have to report it, right.
Yeah, like done a few, you know, just to put it out there.
Not that I felt that it hadanything to do with it, but it's
still my responsibility to putit out there to make sure that
they look at every single avenue.
And it was so hard not to talkto you about certain things
because there were things thatwere revealed to me that I
couldn't discuss with anybody,and so it was interesting.
(25:36):
But I want to bring somethingup which is kind of different.
But you know the banker boxes.
So they had some banker boxesthat they had switched over for
the case, and they had a lot ofbanker boxes and a police
officer had burnt those boxesand I received a photo of that
(25:56):
banker box being burnt and ithad the most amazing outline of
a person with their arm up andthe investigating officer one of
them, I should say had sent itto me and said like I don't know
how you feel about this, butisn't this wild?
And it really was.
And I understood that youreceived that picture later.
Kim Sweeney (26:20):
I did.
I did.
The officer who took thepicture came here after it was
all said and done and gave methat and I said that was you.
I've heard about this picture.
I can't believe that was you.
And he said it was me.
It was just a lot easier todestroy them that way.
So he brought them home and didthat.
(26:45):
But I just want to show yousomething.
Jay Lane (26:47):
Oh, there it is.
It's on the wall.
I got it blown up, okay.
Yeah, it's an amazing picturebecause it looks like the
outline of your sister and itdoes it does.
I mean her head, her face, likeit's really quite amazing that
photo, and when I saw it I hadshivers on my shivers, you know
(27:08):
what I mean.
Kim Sweeney (27:08):
How could you not?
You know you get people to lookat that and most the most
common reaction I have is noreaction except a jaw wide open
and then instant tears inpeople's face.
Yeah, you know the tears thatcome down and you're like do you
see what I see?
Jay Lane (27:26):
and yeah, everybody sees it.
Kim Sweeney (27:28):
Oh, I couldn't believe it.
I all I said was that was you.
Yeah, you did that.
Jay Lane (27:35):
Yeah.
Kim Sweeney (27:36):
And he was not a believer at all.
But you know, and that picturewas taken.
He said he was just documentingyou know the process of getting
, you know destroying everything, and so he had a few other
pictures.
But you know how a picture'slive on your phone?
Yes, when you play to have thatpicture go live, nowhere do you
(27:58):
see that.
Yes, and when you let go of itat the end it just jumps to that
.
Yeah, it's just crazy, it'samazing to yeah, just shivers.
It just gives you shivers tosee that and to know but yeah,
all I said was you, that was you.
But yeah, all I said was you,that was you.
Yeah, but yeah, oh my goodness,you know.
Jay Lane (28:21):
But I have to say like they were pretty patient and
very good.
I remember, you know, speakingto one of the officers and just
you know again, just you know,reiterating that I felt that
they were going in the wrongdirection and I received such a
nice thank you letter, you know,reiterating that I felt that
they were going in the wrongdirection and I received such a
nice thank you letter, and thatwas the first for me in working
(28:45):
with police to receive a thankyou letter and encouraging them
to, you know, to continue going,and so it was really great.
But, speaking of which, how hasyour view on justice and
closure evolved over the years,like as a result of all of this
that happened to you?
Kim Sweeney (28:59):
So the officers, through everything, were all
absolutely amazing.
I can't thank them enough fortheir kindness and compassion
that they showed me and myfamily that I'll never forget
them and all of them.
You know he was sentenced to 12years.
(29:23):
Yes, I feel that was anabsolute slap in the face.
Yes, that was an absolute slapin the face.
It took a long time.
I mean, he was arrestedDecember 11th 2018.
We went to for a bail hearing inFebruary 2019.
That was a three-day bailhearing, so we had to wait till
(29:47):
oh, was it the end of March tosee if he was going to get bail
or not.
And that was denied.
And there was.
You know what.
You don't realize the process,how much there is.
Like this case was more thanjust okay.
There was a bail hearing andthen there was the trial.
There was so much more inbetween Like I believe they had
(30:09):
figured it out that it wasprobably worth about six,
another six weeks of full timesitting in court, but broken up
in mornings, right, oh, amorning of this, a morning of
that and a day of this and theall the pre-trial stuff.
And you know that was indicted.
So it was.
You know, know, we didn't.
We missed a lot of stuff goingthrough everything when they
(30:31):
they wanted to have a change ofvenue.
You know, the judge felt heshould be able to get a fair
trial here in Sudbury, which isokay either way.
I just you know, it's about thescience and the evidence and and
to me, there was enough of itto prove that this is the person
.
Because, you know, some peoplesay, oh, I'm happy, someone's
(30:52):
paying for it.
No, you don't want someone topay, you want the right person,
the correct person, the personwho did this, the person who is
responsible to be the one thatpays, not just anybody
responsible to be the one thatpays, not not just anybody.
And, and you know, I had secondthoughts.
Well, are you sure?
And I remember saying are yousure this is the right guy?
Yes, yes, without a doubt,without a shadow of a doubt,
(31:15):
without a shadow of a doubt.
So you know, that being said,there was a lot to go through
and some stuff you just go.
What a waste of time, what anabsolute waste of time,
taxpayers, money.
But that's the process.
And, uh, like I said, you know,after the six weeks of trial, 12
(31:37):
years you know, the judge askedthe jury what do you think he
should get for a sentence?
And I believe half of them saidthe maximum of 25 years.
Yes, the lowest was 22 years.
I believe 20 or 22 years, Ican't quite remember right now,
(31:58):
but 12, that's a slap in theface.
He's up for parole shortly, youknow.
Yeah, so I mean it doesn't meanhe will get it, it's still a
life sentence.
You know this was originally afirst degree murder charge and
then it was dropped down tosecond degree murder and, um,
that's not fair, because thiswas indeed first degree.
(32:21):
The fact that there were twoseparate attacks that had
happened, that he went to thebathroom and washed his hands,
so when he came out of thebathroom, it may not have been
intent when he won in that store, but when he came out of the
bathroom that was definitely,you know, intent to kill her.
So but you know there's nothingI can do about that and that
(32:44):
they actually have the correctperson and now he's serving his
time.
Jay Lane (32:52):
Yes.
And rightfully so.
So, with all of that being said, what message or hope do you
wish to convey to those dealingwith similar tragedies?
Convey?
Kim Sweeney (33:04):
to those dealing with similar tragedies Don't
give up.
The police are trying hard, youknow they want to solve
everything they can.
Out there, Fortunately,technology is just booming the
technology with the sciencebehind everything, you know.
That's why we are where we, whyI got to get through this was
(33:26):
who'd have thought a littleblood sample would show you
exactly what you look like, yourcolor of eyes, color of hair,
Like it?
Just it's crazy, but thescience will help, and the
police and everybody's doingtheir hardest to get through all
of this.
And you know as horrible it isto just sit back and wait.
(33:47):
That's all you can do.
Yeah, and, and like I said, I,I gave every little detail, I, I
, I related to them and as crazyas they thought I was, they,
they gave me my dignity and said, okay, we'll check into it.
But, um, life goes on.
So you, you on, so you have tomove forward.
Jay Lane (34:08):
Yeah, you do, you do, and at least you can sleep at
night knowing that he's behindbars.
Kim Sweeney (34:15):
I sleep at night now because getting sleep before
in the past, after thishappened, the fear if you heard
a little crack of something itreally, it really messed with me
as, as a person who I am, itwas.
It was very difficult.
You don't trust people, so butI'm proud to say that since the
(34:40):
arrest I've taken everythingthat I've bottled up and I put
it towards good and um, you know, raising money for stuff.
I raised some money for the MSsociety and, uh, pet save our
local shelter here They'vethey've gotten some money.
I've raised almost $10,000 forChrist the King church.
(35:01):
So you know it's uh, I'm justgonna push forward and, you know
, do good things with, be a goodperson.
I always tell my kids, you know, if you go to bed tonight and
you feel good about your day,then that was good.
You shouldn't go to bed andfeel bad that.
You know I should have held thedoor for somebody or always
(35:22):
make the right decision.
Jay Lane (35:24):
Yeah, it's funny because just before our
interview I had gone groceryshopping and I saw an honoring
Renee sticker on someone's truckwindow of an old Chevy.
Kim Sweeney (35:36):
Yes, I did.
Jay Lane (35:37):
And for me that was a sign and I thought, oh my God, I
can't believe I'm seeing this,because I remember how many you
had given out of those stickers.
Kim Sweeney (35:48):
There was a lot.
There was a lot.
You saw one today.
That's amazing.
Jay Lane (35:54):
It freaked me right out and by the time I came back
out the guy was gone, because Ireally wanted to take a picture.
Kim Sweeney (36:00):
I love when I see those.
It just kind of, you know, youfeel the support from the
community and there was a lot ofsupport from the community and
you know I'm thankful for that.
Jay Lane (36:13):
Yeah.
Kim Sweeney (36:13):
And I'm thankful the police never gave up and
kept pushing forward and eventrying out the new technology
you know putting through to.
So it's unbelievable.
Jay Lane (36:24):
I'm, I'm thankful you, you know it's not going to take
back, it's not going to getrenee back, but it, um, when you
see that it just warms yourheart it really does, and you
just, I just think, I look atthem and I look at the vehicle
and I just say, yeah, you know Iknow how happy they were
because they were allcelebrating, all the police
officers were celebrating, whenthe arrest was made, and you
(36:48):
know it was just such a bigrelief, I think, for everybody,
and it created quite a buzz inthe community, but it was a good
buzz, like you know.
It was a good buzz.
Yeah, it was a good buzz,instead of the buzz that we had
before.
Yeah, everyone was just wantingto resolve this so badly, and
so the police did their job andI'm really happy to say that it
(37:09):
got the right person and it'sjust, it's wonderful.
Kim, I want to thank you somuch for putting your heart out
there today, because I know it'snot easy to talk about, and
especially you know your sister.
She's been gone for such a longtime now, but it's funny
because I was held up just a fewmonths before that happened and
(37:32):
I felt, yeah, and I felt, and Iwas so how would I say it?
I was traumatized by it and, andthe thing is, I felt that for
some reason that brought ustogether somehow, and so we've
known each other for quite awhile and I'm so happy to say
that we've become friends.
Kim Sweeney (37:51):
We have.
I'm so happy we've becomefriends yeah.
And I'm thankful for yourencouragement and I'm you know.
You've been wonderful to me andmy family.
Jay Lane (38:00):
Yes.
Kim Sweeney (38:01):
And.
Jay Lane (38:02):
I love your family, though I still remember that
reading I did at your house.
Remember we did yes.
And I love your family, thoughI still remember that reading I
did at your house.
Kim Sweeney (38:08):
Remember we did.
Yes, you came here.
Yes, helped me figure out whowas the ghost or whatever I had
in my house.
You smudged my house for mebecause there was a lot of
activity going on in here?
Yes, there was, and you got it.
I'll never forget thecantaloupe, oh the cantaloupe.
Oh, the cantaloupe.
Yeah, the frozen cantaloupe.
(38:29):
You had no idea what was sofunny.
But and the three hearts, yes.
Jay Lane (38:34):
Three hearts, oh my God, you can go on, and, on, and
on.
Kim Sweeney (38:38):
Yeah.
Jay Lane (38:39):
Thank you so much.
Like I said, and I'm sureyou're going to make a
difference for so many peoplethat are going through this
tragedy.
I mean, there are so manyunsolved cases out there missing
people, all kinds of things andpeople go through so much
trauma and and uncertainty whenthese things happen and it's
reassuring to hear someone elsetalk about it and they get the
(39:00):
strength from that.
So I know you're going to helpso many people just with this
interview.
So thank you so much for that.
Kim Sweeney (39:06):
Thank you for having me.
This was great, thank you.
Jay Lane (39:10):
I want to thank everybody for listening in today
.
I hope you have an absolutelybeautiful week ahead and until
next time, we'll talk to youagain real soon.
Bye, bye, everyone.
Thanks for listening in.
I hope you enjoyed today'sLaneway Way to Spirit.
To learn more about me, visitmy website at mediumjaylane.
com or my socials on Facebookand Instagram.
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