Thierry Bordelais is a name that has been inextricably linked to one of Canada’s most notorious criminal cases – the sickening murders committed by Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo in the early 1990s. While Bernardo’s name is synonymous with being a serial killer and serial rapist, Bordelais gained notoriety for an entirely different reason – he became Karla Homolka’s second husband after her release from prison.
The very fact that Bordelais chose to marry Homolka, knowing the grisly details of the crimes she participated in, has made him a subject of intense public scrutiny and criticism. Many have wondered what could possibly motivate a man to willingly tie the knot with someone like Homolka, whose actions were so shockingly depraved.
So who exactly is Thierry Bordelais, and what do we know about the man who became the second husband of one of Canada’s most infamous killers?
A Man Shrouded in Mystery
Very little is definitively known about Thierry Bordelais’ background or personal life before his marriage to Karla Homolka. He was born in Canada, though his exact birthplace is uncertain. We know he has a brother named Sylvie Bordelais, who played a key role in Homolka’s legal proceedings.
Sylvie Bordelais was one of the attorneys who represented Karla Homolka during her trial, where she struck a controversial plea bargain and was sentenced to just 12 years in prison for her role in the murders of two Ontario teenagers. It was through this connection that Karla Homolka first met Thierry Bordelais.
Some reports indicate that Thierry Bordelais may have worked in the legal profession as well, though his exact career has never been confirmed. He has been described as an attorney, but he has been extremely private about his professional life, likely to avoid drawing any more unwanted attention to himself and his family.
The Controversial Courtship
It was during Homolka’s legal proceedings in the early 1990s that she first crossed paths with Thierry Bordelais through his brother Sylvie. Precisely how and when their relationship transformed from a professional connection to a romantic one remains unclear.
What is known is that by the time Homolka was released from prison in 2005 after serving 12 years for manslaughter, she and Bordelais were a couple. Their decision to marry that same year sent shockwaves through the Canadian public.
Many struggled to comprehend how any man could willingly enter into a marriage with a woman like Homolka. Her crimes, which she committed alongside her former husband Paul Bernardo, were of such a horrific and sickening nature that they were virtually unparalleled in Canadian history.
Homolka was convicted of manslaughter in the deaths of two Ontario teenagers – Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French – whom she and Bernardo had abducted, sexually assaulted, tortured, and ultimately killed. She had also contributed to the death of her own younger sister, Tammy, after drugging her with substances provided by Bernardo.
The twisted crimes committed by the couple were made even more abhorrent because they had videotaped and derived sexual pleasure from their depraved acts of violence. For Thierry Bordelais to marry a woman like this, knowing full well the atrocities she had committed, was seen by many as unforgivable.
A Family Formed, But No Redemption
Despite the public outcry and condemnation of their union, Thierry Bordelais and Karla Homolka pressed forward with their marriage in 2005. In the years that followed, the couple went on to have three children together – two sons and a daughter.
Seeking to escape the constant glare of the media and widespread public harassment, the family moved frequently, living for a time in the Caribbean before eventually settling in the Quebec town of Chateauguay. However, their attempts to build a quiet life were constantly disrupted by protests from outraged community members, particularly parents of children attending the same schools as Homolka’s offspring.
The public fury and moral outrage surrounding Homolka’s reintegration into society proved to be unrelenting. In January 2020, after years of being hounded while living in Chateauguay, Homolka finally moved away from the town and her family, relocating to Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. Unconfirmed reports suggest she and Bordelais may now be living separately, though their marital status remains unclear.
Throughout this tumultuous period in their lives, Thierry Bordelais has remained stubbornly silent, steadfastly refusing to discuss his wife, her crimes, or his reasons for marrying her. He has never granted a media interview or provided any public statements to shed light on his thought process.
This unwavering privacy, combined with the shocking nature of his wife’s past actions, has only fueled further speculation, criticism, and condemnation from those unable to fathom how he could start a family with Karla Homolka.
A Love Story? Or Something Darker?
In the absence of any insight from Bordelais himself, members of the public have been left to speculate about what could motivate a man to marry one of Canada’s most reviled female criminals.
Some have theorized that Bordelais’ background in the legal profession, and his brother’s first-hand involvement in Homolka’s case, gave him a more nuanced and potentially sympathetic view of her actions and her ultimate sentence. Perhaps he saw her as a victim of Bernardo’s manipulation rather than as an enthusiastic participant in their shared crimes.
Others have wondered whether Bordelais was simply a man willing to overlook even the most horrific transgressions for the sake of finding love and companionship. Did he somehow manage to convince himself that her past actions were firmly in the past and that she deserved a second chance to live a normal life?
More cynical observers have put forward the possibility of less noble motivations behind Bordelais’ choice of bride. Was he merely a man seeking notoriety by any means necessary, even if that meant shackling himself to one of Canada’s most infamous killers? Some have speculated that a morbid fascination or sexual proclivity may have drawn Bordelais to Homolka in the first place.
Ultimately, without Bordelais’ testimony and a willingness to explain his decision to the world, we may never truly understand what compelled this man to marry Karla Homolka. Their private union stands as one of the most bewildering and controversial in Canadian history, ensuring that the name Thierry Bordelais will forever be inextricably linked to his wife’s monstrous past.
While Homolka has ostensibly paid her debt to society through her prison sentence, her new husband seems destined to remain persistently tarred by his association with her unforgivable crimes. For Thierry Bordelais, the price of this strange love may be a life spent in the crosshairs of a disgusted nation’s contempt.
Also Read:
