An update, after more than a year — And a thank you!

Thank you to everyone who signed this petition. My last update was when the first two accused pleaded guilty. A lot has happened since then.

Two (2) of the remaining accused have now pleaded guilty as well. In the end, the four pleaded down from first-degree murder and kidnapping — to manslaughter, aggravated assault, and accessory after the fact. All four had already spent over a year in custody by their plea hearings. One received 8 years and will serve just over 6 after pre-trial credit. One walked out of court the day she pleaded guilty. One got 5 extra days. One got 11 extra months. And 1 is still before the courts.  Nobody pleaded guilty to the kidnapping itself — and I believe, more people were involved who have never been named, because no one would come forward.

That is why I have written a specific federal proposal, called Jason's Exception (The Kidnapping and Homicide Accountability Act). It would hold every participant in a kidnapping accountable when the victim dies, make it a crime for a participant to stay silent or help cover it up, and end plea deals that don't require the full truth about who else was involved. It applies only to people who took part in a kidnapping — never to victims or survivors.

I have started a new petition for it here: change.org/Jasons_Exception

Please sign and share it there as well. This petition stays up — the new one is where we build the count for Jason's Exception.

Thank you for still standing with Jason.

— Tara Brown, The Hope Hubb thehopehubb.ca