Saturday marks 30 years since McDonald's murders in Cape Breton
Saturday marks the 30th anniversary of the McDonald's murders, but there is no lasting memorial, and there is no longer a restaurant on the former site in Sydney River, N.S.
On May 7, 1992, at the end of a night shift, three employees were killed and a fourth was left critically injured.
It was an armed robbery turned deadly.
"All four of these victims were victims of gunshots at close range to the head area," said Constable Dave Roper of the RCMP in an interview on May 7, 1992.
Donna Warren, 22, Jimmy Fagan, 27, and Neil Burroughs, 29, were killed during the robbery.
Arleen MacNeil, 20, was left with a permanent brain injury and died in 2018.
Now, 30 years later, it’s still painful to think about for Neil's sister, Cathy Burroughs.
"I just miss his presence. Being able to actually see him and being able to talk to him. I don't know why, but it just really hit me hard this year," said Burroughs.
Nineteen-year-old Derek Wood and 23-year-old Freeman MacNeil were charged and convicted of first-degree murder.
The third suspect, 18-year-old Darren Muise avoided trial by pleading guilty to second-degree murder.
Muise is now free. MacNeil has been granted temporary absences, and Wood — who remains locked up — is the only one that Burroughs says has shown remorse.
"He turned around and apologized for his actions that night. I have compassion for that because he really does have remorse for his actions that night, but he has been the only one. The other two, they're sadistic," she said.
Phonse Jessome was one of the first journalists on the scene for ATV, now CTV News, that night.
"In particular at this time of year, it feels like it was yesterday," he said.
Jessome followed the story for years and later wrote a book about his experiences.
"The stuff we do, if we do it right, can leave a mark. It can scar you forever," said Jessome.
Those scars have forever changed the lives of the victims and their families.
"The date and the time and the phone call are tattooed on my soul, so it's something that our family will never forget," said Burroughs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Israeli army says it struck 300 targets in Lebanon in stepped-up pressure on Hezbollah
Israel on Monday urged residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate from homes and other buildings where it claimed Hezbollah has stored weapons, saying the military would conduct “extensive strikes” against the militant group.
opinion How to create a budget that works for you
Are you struggling to create a budget that fits your life and schedule? Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew shares some simple budgeting methods and offer some tips to help you create, and follow, a budget plan.
'Let's bring him home to his mom and dad': Search for missing six-year-old Manitoba boy continues
Manitoba RCMP and community members are still feverishly searching for a six-year-old boy who went missing five days ago.
Justin Trudeau to be guest on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' during New York visit
The prime minister's official itinerary says the interview will be shot during his trip to New York, where he is meeting with other world leaders ahead of the 78th gathering of the United Nations General Assembly.
Search underway for suspects in Alabama mass shooting that killed 4 and injured 17
Authorities have reported no arrests after a weekend mass shooting killed four people and left 17 others injured in what police described as a targeted 'hit' by multiple shooters who opened fire outside a popular Alabama nightspot.
Air Canada union head says she'll resign if pilots reject deal
The head of the Air Canada pilots union says she'll step down if members opt not to approve a tentative deal with the airline, raising the stakes as aviators mull whether to accept hefty salary gains or drive an even harder bargain.
Boy abducted from California in 1951 at age 6 found alive on East Coast more than 70 years later
Luis Armando Albino was six years old in 1951 when he was abducted while playing at an Oakland, Calif., park. Now, more than seven decades later, Albino has been found thanks to help from an online ancestry test, old photos and newspaper clippings.
Caught on camera: Edmonton police officers injure man, assault charges laid
An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.
What's on Justin Trudeau's agenda as he meets with Haiti's acting PM
Justin Trudeau will turn his focus to the ongoing crises in Haiti as he speaks with some world leaders Monday ahead of the 78th meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.