Homicide victim Jenny McKay's father leans on faith at son-in-law's murder trial
Doug Campbell says the man accused of killing his daughter should be found guilty as charged
Retired pastor Doug Campbell believes he will see his slain daughter Jenny McKay again after this life is done.
He's used his faith to cope with Jenny's death, just as he's used it to make it through the murder trial of his son-in-law.
Campbell and his wife Glenda flew from Nova Scotia to witness the murder trial of Jason McKay, Jenny's husband, at Regina's Court of Queen's Bench. Their two children joined, both from other provinces. Campbell said no one has been sleeping well, but the family wants to see justice.
"It would be an awful thing for somebody to have been murdered in a strange city and nobody there to represent her."
Jason pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder. His defence has requested a decision of manslaughter. Justice Michael Tochor is expected to deliver the decision Friday mid-afternoon. The fast turnaround time for the decision surprised Campbell. He and and his wife will learn of the result from afar, having headed home to Nova Scotia Thursday night. However, Jenny's siblings will be in the courtroom.
Jason admitted at the trial to stabbing Jenny in September 2017, but said it happened during a blackout. Jason's lawyer argued Jason had been in an alcohol induced blackout that was potentially enhanced by antidepressants.
"I think that's way too easy for what has happened, I think it should actually be first-degree," Campbell said.
Jenny was stabbed more than a dozen times with multiple knives. The 33-year-old was found covered in blood with a large carving knife still in her chest.
The emerging details have been sickening, Campbell said.
"We knew that she was stabbed when she died, but we had no idea how gruesome, how vicious," Campbell said.
"To plead not guilty to that, is just that's really hard to put everybody through this, his family, my family."
I believe with all my heart that we will see her again.- Doug Campbell
McKay testified at the trial about visions of a cloak, a 20-inch dagger and dark figures.
He had not mentioned these things during the formal police interviews that happened after his arrest. Instead, he told police "I killed her."
Campbell felt compelled to confront McKay in 2018 while he was remanded to custody.
"I had to hear from him what happened and he showed a real lack of remorse," Campbell said. "I just couldn't believe that he would say stuff like that, like, 'I can, I think I can beat this.'"
'A real compassion for others'
Jenny grew up with a "wholesome" childhood with the love of a tight-knit family, Campbell said. She struggled with alcohol in her later years. This was highlighted often by the defence at the trial.
Campbell knew his daughter struggled with addiction, but said she was so much more than that.
"She had a real compassion for others, the hurting, the downtrodden. I think she could relate," he said. "She could pick out problems in another relationship, but was unable to do the ones on her own."
She loved cooking, music, art, gardening and writing, he said.
With a thick voice, he recited a line from a poem she had once written.
"Back when happiness was not something to be searched for because it was all I knew."
Warning signs
Campbell said he and the rest of his family were in the dark about the state about the couple's relationship, including Jenny's calls to 911 and her attempts to leave. He said that if something came up, Jenny would later brush it off.
"I guess that's what victims do, they just try to protect [others] and they're trapped," he said.
Looking back, Campbell said there were red flags.
"In the middle of it, sometimes you just don't see it or you don't think it could be that, you don't think it could be that bad."
He spoke with Jenny at length the day before she died. Campbell was barbecuing dinner and said it seemed like she didn't want to hang up. To Campbell, it never crossed his mind that Jason might take Jenny's life.
"If I would have heard that 911 call, I'd have gotten out here real quick because obviously she was terrified of him."
A recording of the call, made days before her death, shows Jenny said Jason had shown up at the home and she felt he was going to kill her.
Campbell said he's searched for some good in all of this. He said he believes Jenny's story is resonating with others. He said he's hopeful her story might encourage others to get help.
"It's affecting women who maybe need to take a stand in their own relationship and get out."
Finding hope in faith
Campbell and his family are drawing on their faith to give them hope.
"There's times where I've questioned: God, where were you? Why didn't you do something?" Campbell said.
Despite what happened, he trusts in God.
"We got to have a wonderful daughter for 33 years and some people don't get that."
Campbell said it's been bittersweet to meet Jenny's friends and those who loved her, learning about the happy times she did have.
"Sometimes you think it was all bad, and it wasn't."
After she died, the family buried Jenny in a little country cemetery in the middle of the woods in Nova Scotia. Generations of the family have been buried there in the Campbell row.
"We laid her to rest there and I thought how could people do that without believing there's more to come?" he said.
"I believe with all my heart that we will see her again."
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