When two teenaged sisters were arrested for murdering their 43-year old mother in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, the community was shocked. Shock was followed by outrage when it came out that many of their friends had been aware of the murder plot. Some had even offered advice on the best way to kill their mother and get away with it.Canadian law has supported treating minors guilty of serious crimes differently from their adult counterparts. As a result, the young killers served short sentences and their privacy has been protected.

The hope with this treatment is that young offenders can be reintegrated into society and contribute in a positive way.Despite the court’s ruling to keep their real names a secret, their names are searchable online. For this discussion, however, we had decided to use the pseudonyms used by Toronto Star Journalist Bob Mitchell.Join us at the quiet end today as we talk about the cold-blooded murder of Linda Anderson by her daughters, Sandra and Beth. In addition to the dysfunctional family relationships in the Andersen family, we hope to examine the psychology behind the girls’ friends who chose to keep quiet and, in some cases, help out.