Amanda's Victim Impact Statement
In October 2009, Yvonne Johnson was once again eligible for parole. Some restrictions were lifted with regard to escorted leaves, but full day parole was denied. Karen read a victim impact statment at the hearing in Calgary. Click here to read.
In January 2008, Yvonne Johnson, one of Chuck's convicted murderers, was eligible for parole after serving 19 years of her life sentence. Our family was asked to present Victim Impact Statements, which we read to the parole board at her hearing. Click here to read.
In September 2005, Yvonne Johnson was first eligible for parole after serving 15 years of her life sentence. Our family was asked to present Victim Impact Statements, which we read to the parole board at her hearing. Ms. Johnson was granted a series of escorted visits. Click here to read Karen's statement from that hearing.
Victim Impact Statement - March 2010
This will be my last victim’s impact statement. I’m sure you all know by now but I’m the daughter of Chuck Skwarok. Writing victim impact statement one after another becomes very annoying because the facts are simple and clear and I don’t understand why people can’t suffer the full consequences, regardless of what the crime is. She took a human’s life, and anyone who has the odyssey to do that deserves a full sentence/punishment. Why is that so complicated???? What about if it was YOUR DAD? Or someone from your family? Letting Yvonne free early will simple say that the justice system doesn’t care about the victims’ families. Actually it’s already too late for that, I have seen on T.V, other families getting hurt and feeling disappointed to the decisions that system has made. How could you not see from the past parole hearings that this woman doesn’t think clearly? The reason she claimed to kill my father was she thought that her kids were in “danger” but yet she lives in her half-way house with her grandchildren????????? That right there proves that the justice system does not care at all. I just hope and pray that another person doesn’t give the wrong impression to make Yvonne think that her grandchildren are in “danger” and hurt or even kill that person. Yvonne stole MY DAD’S life and has a chance now to better hers. Yvonne and the system stole our Justice and gave it to her and her family. What did me and my family do to deserve this? Thanks for giving me and my family a say at past parole hearings, but I also want to thank you for the false hope you gave me and my family. So Yvonne while you are out there in the real world enjoying the fresh air remember that you took someone’s ability to breathe and still is hurting a whole family that you know nothing about from your actions.
Amanda Chaboyer
Victim Impact Statement - October 2009
I am the daughter of Leonard Charles (Chuck) Skwarok.
About a month ago, I read an article in the newspaper about a mother whose son was murdered. He was only 15 years old and was killed by another boy his age. After the trial the offender was only sentenced to 2 years and had about 5 to 10 years of probation. This story really bothered me because of injustice the family received. This hit home. The mother is never going to see her son again and the boy who took his life is going to see his family and can restart his life. Many families around the world are let down because of the justice system. They hope that they will be able to live with the decisions that the justice system makes towards the accused but majority of the time it's a let down. The accuser gets time…. gets out (earlier than the sentence given)…..and go on with their lives while the family who lost their loved one continues to feel like a piece of them is missing.
Even though my father has been gone for 20 years, I still feel to this very day that I am not complete. I do believe that the justice system is going to make the wrong decision and set you free Yvonne. I know no matter what I say or do it's not going to make a difference with their decision. I do hope that you live with guilt for the rest of your life. You took something incredibly important from me and I could have even been a better person having him around. I hope his spirit stays with you to remind what you did and all the pain you have caused with him, me, his family, my family and our friends.
So enjoy restarting your life and seeing your loved ones again …
Amanda Chaboyer
Daughter of Leonard Charles (Chuck) Skwarok
Victim Impact Statement - January 2008
I am the daughter of Leonard Charles (Chuck) Skwarok. All my life I've lived in the scenarios of the "what if's?" What if I had a dad? What if he and my mom had stayed together? Would if he didn't die? What if it wasn't my dad but someone else? What if it was someone else's father? I've always had to answer the question, "Hey Amanda, how does it feel to not have a dad?" or "Amanda, how do you feel when you see other people with a dad?" What I hate is when my friends feel sad for me. I hate all the special treatment from my friends, family and other people. I just wish I had both parents and a normal life. I just wish I had the chance to get to know my dad. He was taken away from me at the age of five.
I have been struggling most of my life but the last four months I have been living with my boyfriend. He lives with his parents. I have noticed myself smiling and feeling happier when I see his parents hanging out, watching TV or eating dinner together. One day it hit me! This is what I had been missing. When this family is together I would picture them as my own family. Reality hit and I became more sad and moody because I was seeing what I had been missing. I finally realized what Yvonne took away from me.
Last September my uncle Ted Skwarok (Chuck's brother) died. This really bothered me because he's my uncle and I didn't know him. What if (there's that "what if" again) my dad was alive I would have gotten to know more of my family?
The greatest pain I have been through in my life is watching my family go through their pain. All I have are pictures, gifts and stories that my family passed onto me. My brothers and sister were older so they have more memories and more stories. They knew him so well that they could remember his smell, his voice and his laugh.
Life is simple. If someone commits a crime that person should pay the full price. Yvonne Johnson received a life sentence to be released in 2014, should she not do her time in completion? My dad was judged, and sentenced by her. Can he come back? My dad has been disrespected since his death. Doesn't he deserve to rest in peace?
Yvonne how would you feel had that been your dad? How would you feel if I had murdered your father? How would you feel if I had written a book and then made it public that I shoved a table leg up his ass? How would you feel? Or can you feel?
My brother Chuck said it best! "Grieving is hard to put in the past when it's thrown in your face on a daily basis."
Amanda Chaboyer
Leonard Charles's (Chuck) Daughter.
Victim Impact Statement - September 2005
When I write about Yvonne I don't even know where to start. So much emotions come up and I just want to shout out everything at once and just get it out and over with. My family has already written their statements and they are waiting for me to finish mine. I tried my best to ignore it and I honestly was not going to write it because I really didn't want to bring up my feelings….. but I think its about time I face my feelings and just do it. How has it impacted me?
I really don't want Yvonne to get out of jail when it comes down to it, she took a life and she needs to pay her price in full. It doesn't matter how she is behaving or if she is "healed". The fact is she murdered my dad. I don't think its fair to my family and my dad's relatives if she gets out before her full sentence. Getting time reduced for her is a great privilege to her side of the family. She will have the royalties of the book. What do we have? My dad was taken away and we are reminded everyday how he was taken away when we meet people who read Stolen Life.
I was hurt that we were not informed of writing other victim impact statements for the other three assailants. We were totally ignored when it is my dad that died. I feel like I don't matter. My family had been left out since day one. What really hurts me the most is all the attention Yvonne is getting. Yvonne thrives on this. She will be able to get out and see her family and start a new relationship with her children. I have no opportunity to have a relationship with my dad. She took that from me. I know I said I would forgive her but how can I forgive her when she is not sincere.
I have suffered abandonment issues. I have problems with male figures. I have never had a father figure. I do not know how to relate with males yet I seek their acceptance and yet I am so scared of them because I am not used to the attention I am given. I am scared to get close to anyone because I might lose them. I have low self-esteem, no confidence, bad nerves and panic attacks. Since I was a little girl I would wake up during the night and check up on my mother to see if she was breathing because I was so scared to lose her too. I was teased in school because I only had my mother. When I told other kids that my dad died they would tease me and say "he didn't die, he left you and your mother will leave you too." On Father's Day I would have liked to make my dad a card. Again other classmates would say…"Awww that like half orphan gets to write to her mother twice a year." Do you have any idea how much that hurt and how it still affects me today?
I am more upset that I don't know what I am missing. I have no idea how it is to have a dad, to be able to celebrate father's day, or his birthday, for me to celebrate my birthday and get presents from him. Yvonne had a relationship with her dad and it makes me angry and upset to know that she experienced that when I didn't get a chance to enjoy it. My brothers and sister had a strong bond with my dad. He made them feel special, he made my family feel like a real family and the thought of that taken away from my family really brings overwhelming pain inside me.
I met a girl who has become a close friend of mine. I trusted her and shared losing my dad with her. I also told her of the book. She asked me the name of the book and I told her Stolen Life. She confessed that she read that book three times and it was one of her favorite books. I told her that the book slanders my dad and that he was not this large white man. I even showed her his pictures. She apologized to me and told me that this book really portrays Yvonne as a victim that everyone pities. Knowing the other side of the story she does not want the book in her home. She realizes that the book is out there for people to pity Yvonne.
Despite everything Yvonne will never be able to bring back my dad and her apologies are unacceptable to me. I do not trust her motives because she manipulates and does not take me as a person with feelings. Yvonne gave us a broken promise of letting my family write an addendum to your book which never happened. We met with you in good faith hoping to put closure on this, only to find out there is a movie coming out. You have hurt a lot of people including your own family. I hear you're celebrating in jail because you think you will be set free. You're even writing your own resume. These factors disgust me and add fire to my pain. If you were truly sorry you would not have profited off a book while in jail. You could have let my family write an addendum and told the real story about my dad. Yvonne in time the truth will be exposed. People will know the real you and it is going to hit you head on.
You know in our culture there is a saying: "What comes around, goes around." It will happen to you. I truly believe that. I really believe our justice has been stolen.
My goal is this situation is to be heard and for everyone to know who my father was. He is a wonderful man who will not be forgotten. This is for you Dad!! Please consider this with your decision.
Amanda Chaboyer
Leonard Charles Skwarok's daughter
