Today on LOTW, Becky and Bevy discuss one of Canada’s most infamous criminal cases.

Karla Homolka was seventeen when she met Paul Bernardo at a pet‑industry conference — a meeting that sparked an intense relationship almost immediately. As the two grew closer, a separate pattern of violence was unfolding in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough. Women were being attacked near bus stops and residential paths, and the unidentified offender had become known publicly as the Scarborough Rapist.

While Karla and Paul’s relationship accelerated, the assaults continued. Police released composite sketches, neighborhoods organized safety patrols, and the timeline of attacks grew longer. All the while, the couple’s life together was taking shape — trips between St. Catharines and Scarborough, long drives, and a relationship that friends noticed was unusually fast‑moving.

Part 1 follows the early years: how Karla and Paul met, how their relationship developed, and how the Scarborough attacks formed the backdrop to everything that came next.