A Murdered Prostitute in Ontario

Although my concentration is indeed on American culture, I must write on this case in Canada which has taken a controversial turn and outlines international parallels in how sex workers are viewed and treated. Last month, Wayne Ryczak of St. Catharines, Ontario was set free on probation the day after he had testified in court to murdering a prostitute named Stephine Beck and disposing of her corpse on the side of the road. He had been incarcerated since being arrested for the crime more than a year ago.

Here is an excerpt from Canoe CNews on how Beck was killed, according to Ryczak's claims.

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Judge Stephen Glithero sentenced the 55-year-old St. Catharines construction worker to one day in jail Thursday for the death of 29-year-old Stephine Beck.

The one-day sentence is in addition to time Ryczak already served in jail since his March 5, 2007 arrest - time the judge said was equivalent to 30 months...

Beck's partially naked body was found on the side of Seventh Avenue in Vineland around 6:30 a.m. on March 4, 2007. The cause of death was strangulation.

Ryczak was arrested the next day, after his neighbour told police she saw him struggling to stuff a woman's body into his hatchback.

He pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, but guilty to manslaughter on Wednesday in Superior Court in St. Catharines.

In a rare move, Ryczak took the stand after his plea and claimed he acted in self-defence when he grabbed Beck by the throat.

Ryczak testified Beck attacked him with a brass lamp around 3:30 a.m. when he entered his trailer at 241 St. Paul St. West. He said he didn't know who she was, although she may have looked familiar.

It was during the struggle that Ryczak said he pushed Beck back and she collapsed on the couch, court heard. When he checked her nose, she wasn't breathing.

He panicked and loaded her into his vehicle.

Court heard Ryczak was known to use the services of prostitutes, but there was no evidence he engaged Beck, a sex-trade worker, in that capacity. He also used drugs, sometimes for days or weeks, but there was no evidence he took drugs that day.

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The information above leaves me with many questions. If the cause of death was strangulation, thus affirming that Beck's last breath (and last possible attempt to move) occurred while Ryczak had his hands around her neck, then the encounter could not have ended the way he explained it. What need would there have been to push her back? How could a struggle have been occurring if she was already dead (or at the very least unconscious)?

These questions might have been neglected due to the fact that Beck had high doses of cocaine in her system at the time of death. This factor effectively raises complexity and convenience in, respectively, determining her cause of fatality and minimizing Ryczak's guilt.

What also lacked clarity was the judge's sentencing decision. Ryczak's time spent in jail during the trial was credited towards the time he would need to serve for being found guilty of the murder. However, even with that, the numbers I've come across are illogical. For example, if Judge Litertho called for a 30-month sentence, Ryczak is supposed to remain imprisoned for about another year. He spent one additional day after the trial.

More discussion and information on this unfortunate matter is available at the following blogs and articles.

Confess to Killing a Sex Worker Today, Go Free Tomorrow

Man Kills Prostitute, Gets Less Than 2 Years. What the FUCK?

NDP demands appeal of one-day sentence

One Day (Plus Time Served) for Murder

Ryczak a 'caring' son, mother tells court