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HOW IT HAPPENED: Getting an accused and a victim to talk, 20 years later

It took some convincing for GuelphToday's Troy Bridgeman to get two men to talk about a dark moment of their lives, even if it was 20 years later
Screenshot 2020-09-30 at 3.33.58 PM

GuelphToday freelance reporter Troy Bridgeman recently interviewed Richard Behm and David Kuzyk about a notorious court case that changed their lives forever. READ IT HERENow he shares the story behind how he got that story.

I, like many people in Guelph in the summer of 2000, was alarmed by reports that a local teenager had been charged with attempting to murder a four-year-old child. That sort of thing didn’t happen in the peaceful city I knew.

Shortly after the news broke, I got a call from an old friend I worked with in the late 1970s and early 80s. He told me it was his son Richard that had been charged and he feared what would happen to him and their family when the trial was moved to adult court.

He told me Richard had been struggling in school and getting into trouble, but he was never violent, and he didn’t even know the child he was accused of trying to murder.

I attended the highly-publicized trial.

The jury acquitted Behm, but his troubles weren’t over. There were many in the community who believed he was guilty and got away with it. The stigma followed him for years and he eventually changed his name and moved out of town.

I was determined to write about the case but my requests for interviews were denied. Everyone wanted to forget and move on.

About five months ago I was following a Facebook chat and someone referenced the case. The person spoke with great confidence about how a teenager savagely beat a young child and left him for dead.

I felt compelled to correct the public record and reached out to Behm, who I hadn’t spoken to in 20 years, and Kuzyk. who I had never met.

Both were reluctant to “open old wounds” but I convinced them to meet with me.

Their memories of the case were foggy.

Behm told me, “I’ve spent the last 20 years trying to forget all of this.”

The case files I got from Behm’s attorney are a treasure trove of information – psychological evaluations, audio, video and transcribed police interviews, photographs, court transcripts and more.

I gave Behm and Kuzyk an opportunity to look through the files and refresh their memories. It was interesting to hear their perspectives after all these years.

The world has changed significantly over the past two decades. It is unlikely today, given the police’s knowledge and sensitivity to mental illness, that Behm would have been charged with attempted murder and tried in adult court.

It is also frightening to think about the role modern social media might have played in spreading disinformation and perpetuating stigma.

There are lessons to be learned from this case about rushing to judgement and the power of public opinion. Yes, we have made one step forward, but we must take care not to take two steps back.


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Troy Bridgeman

About the Author: Troy Bridgeman

Troy Bridgeman is a multi-media journalist that has lived and worked in the Guelph community his whole life. He has covered news and events in the city for more than two decades.
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