Offender Record · OFF-2026-013
Paul Bernardo (photo from the Radford University biography)
Paul Kenneth Bernardo
Also known as Paul Jason Teale, The Scarborough Rapist, The Schoolgirl Killer
Sex
Male
Race
White
Height
6'1"
Born
1964
Custody
Incarcerated
States
CA
Distinguishing featuresKingston Penitentiary mugshot taken November 1995 shows Bernardo with dark hair
Custody
Incarcerated at La Macaza Institution
Custody record at the facility
As of November 2024, Bernardo continues to serve his life sentence at La Macaza Institution in Quebec.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Paul Kenneth Bernardo, born August 27, 1964, also known as Paul Jason Teale, is a Canadian serial rapist and serial killer dubbed the Scarborough Rapist and Schoolgirl Killer. In 1995, Paul Bernardo was convicted of the murders of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy, as well as the manslaughter of Tammy Homolka. He was also found guilty of several other charges, including aggravated sexual assault and kidnapping. On September 15, 1995, Bernardo was sentenced to life in prison in Kingston Penitentiary without the possibility of parole for 25 years. As of November 2024, Bernardo continues to serve his life sentence at La Macaza Institution in Quebec.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date 1987, Scarborough, Ontario
Sexual assault (Scarborough Rapist series)
Ontario Superior Court of Justice · Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Toronto · Arrested Feb 17, 1993 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Dangerous offender designation with indeterminate sentence
According to CBC News, Bernardo later went on to admit to sexually assaulting 14 other women, and over 50 different charges have been brought against him for similar alleged acts. On 3 November 1995, in a surprise move, Bernardo admitted his guilt in all outstanding matters and accepted the label of "Dangerous Offender". All remaining charges against Paul Bernardo were then stayed.
Sources'Ken Killer' Paul Bernardo was sentenced 30 years ago — Here's where he is now; Bernardo Rape Victims Speak; Review into Paul Bernardo's Security Reclassification and Transfer (archived)
Offense date Dec 23, 1990, St. Catharines, Ontario
Manslaughter
Ontario Superior Court of Justice · Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Toronto · Arrested Feb 17, 1993 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Concurrent to life sentences
Homolka's younger sister Tammy, 15, chokes on her own vomit and dies on December 24, 1990. Karla later confessed the couple had drugged the girl and videotaped each other sexually assaulting her. He was convicted on these charges, as well as manslaughter in the death of Tammy Homolka — the sister of his co-accused, Karla Homolka.
SourcesChronology of Bernardo murder trial; Politicians shouldn't determine where Paul Bernardo is imprisoned; 'Ken Killer' Paul Bernardo was sentenced 30 years ago — Here's where he is now
Offense date Jun 15, 1991, St. Catharines, Ontario
Kidnapping
Ontario Superior Court of Justice · Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Toronto · Arrested Feb 17, 1993 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Concurrent to life sentences
Paul Bernardo's trial ended Friday with the verdict of guilty on all counts of kidnapping rape, first degree murder and dismemberment.
SourcesChronology of Bernardo murder trial; 'Ken Killer' Paul Bernardo was sentenced 30 years ago — Here's where he is now
Offense date Jun 15, 1991, St. Catharines, Ontario
Aggravated sexual assault
Ontario Superior Court of Justice · Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Toronto · Arrested Feb 17, 1993 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Concurrent to life sentences
On September 1, 1995, Bernardo was convicted of a number of offences, including the two first-degree murders and two aggravated sexual assaults of French and Leslie Mahaffy.
SourcesMurder of Leslie Mahaffy; 'Ken Killer' Paul Bernardo was sentenced 30 years ago — Here's where he is now
Offense date Jun 15, 1991, St. Catharines, Ontario
First-degree murder
Ontario Superior Court of Justice · Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Toronto · Arrested Feb 17, 1993 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment, concurrent, no parole eligibility for 25 years
Leslie Mahaffy, 14, of Burlington, Ontario was abducted near her home by Bernardo and Homolka on June 15, 1991. Fourteen days later, her dissected body was found in 10 slabs of concrete in a Niagara-area lake by fishermen. She was murdered sometime on June 15, 1991. Mahaffy informed Bernardo that she believed her blindfold was slipping. This worried he and Homolka, as it meant their victim could potentially identify them if freed. Both Homolka and Bernardo agree that this was the reason they decided to murder her, but disagree on who committed the act. Homolka claimed Bernardo strangled Mahaffy, while Bernardo claimed Homolka gave her a lethal dose of triazolam.
SourcesMurder of Leslie Mahaffy; Chronology of Bernardo murder trial; 'Ken Killer' Paul Bernardo was sentenced 30 years ago — Here's where he is now
Offense date Jun 15, 1991, St. Catharines, Ontario
Forcible confinement
Ontario Superior Court of Justice · Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Toronto · Arrested Feb 17, 1993 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Concurrent to life sentences
Leslie Mahaffy was confined to the basement of Bernardo and Homolka's home in St. Catharines for approximately 24 hours.
SourcesMurder of Leslie Mahaffy; 'Ken Killer' Paul Bernardo was sentenced 30 years ago — Here's where he is now
Offense date Jun 16, 1991, St. Catharines, Ontario
Committing an indignity to a dead human body
Ontario Superior Court of Justice · Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Toronto · Arrested Feb 17, 1993 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Five years concurrent to life sentences
One year after Leslie Mahaffy's cement-encased body parts were pulled from a local lake, a pathologist performed a second autopsy on the 14-year-old's dismembered body. Her body had been sawed into 10 separate pieces, with her arms, legs and head severed.
SourcesChronology of Bernardo murder trial; 'Ken Killer' Paul Bernardo was sentenced 30 years ago — Here's where he is now
Offense date Apr 16, 1992, St. Catharines, Ontario
Aggravated sexual assault
Ontario Superior Court of Justice · Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Toronto · Arrested Feb 17, 1993 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Concurrent to life sentences
Kristen French was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Bernardo and Homolka while blindfolded and confined over a three-day period.
SourcesMurder of Kristen French; 'Ken Killer' Paul Bernardo was sentenced 30 years ago — Here's where he is now
Offense date Apr 16, 1992, St. Catharines, Ontario
Forcible confinement
Ontario Superior Court of Justice · Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Toronto · Arrested Feb 17, 1993 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Concurrent to life sentences
Kristen French was confined and tortured for approximately three days at Bernardo and Homolka's residence in St. Catharines before being murdered.
SourcesMurder of Kristen French; 'Ken Killer' Paul Bernardo was sentenced 30 years ago — Here's where he is now
Offense date Apr 16, 1992, St. Catharines, Ontario
Kidnapping
Ontario Superior Court of Justice · Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Toronto · Arrested Feb 17, 1993 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Concurrent to life sentences
Kristen French was abducted at knifepoint on April 16, 1992, from a public street using Karla Homolka as a lure.
SourcesMurder of Kristen French; 'Ken Killer' Paul Bernardo was sentenced 30 years ago — Here's where he is now
Offense date Apr 19, 1992, St. Catharines, Ontario
First-degree murder
Ontario Superior Court of Justice · Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Toronto · Arrested Feb 17, 1993 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment, concurrent, no parole eligibility for 25 years
French, a 15-year-old schoolgirl was abducted by serial killers Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka on April 16, 1992. They similarly kidnapped and killed 15-year-old Kristen French in April 1992 after torturing her and ignoring her agonized entreaties over three days. Over the three days of Easter weekend, Bernardo and Homolka videotaped themselves as they tortured, raped and sodomized Kristen French, forcing her to drink large amounts of alcohol and to behave submissively to Bernardo. At Bernardo's trial, Crown prosecutor Ray Houlahan said that Bernardo always intended to kill her because she was never blindfolded and was capable of identifying her captors.
SourcesMurder of Kristen French; Paul Bernardo; 'Ken Killer' Paul Bernardo was sentenced 30 years ago — Here's where he is now
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
3
Victims convicted
14
Victims confessed
0
Victims suspected
Active years
1987–1992
Victim profile
Young women, Teenagers, Strangers
Stated motive
Sexual, Power or control
Range from home
regional
Accomplice
Yes
Confessed
Yes
Education
bachelor
Marital history
Married, Divorced
Children
0
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
CA
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
1964 – 1987 · Parents' home; childhood and adolescence
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
1970 – 1982 · Sir Wilfred Laurier High School
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
approx. 1987 – 1991 · Various addresses while dating and employed
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
1987 – 1990 · Junior accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers (Price Waterhouse)
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
1991 – 1993 · Shared home with Karla Homolka at Port Dalhousie
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Feb 17, 1993 · Arrested at home
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Feb 17, 1993 – 2013 · Kingston Penitentiary (maximum security)
Millhaven, Ontario, Canada
2013 – May 2023 · Millhaven Institution (maximum security)
Quebec, Canada
May 2023 – present · La Macaza Institution (medium security as of 2023)
Timeline
Aug 27, 1964
Paul Kenneth Bernardo was born August 27, 1964, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
1975
Bernardo's father was charged with crimes involving voyeurism and pedophilia.
May 1975
Bernardo became close friends with two neighborhood boys, Van and Steve. They were all members of the boy scouts and the boys began to start fires using magnifying glasses and twigs/kindling.
Jun 1982
Bernardo graduated from Sir Wilfred Laurier High School.
Sep 1983
Bernardo enrolled at the University of Toronto, Scarborough campus.
May 04, 1987
Bernardo committed his first crime in the early hours of May 4, 1987, when he attacked and raped a young woman shortly after she stepped off a bus near her home in Scarborough.
May 14, 1987
Bernardo committed a second rape of a 19-year-old woman in the backyard of her parents' house.
Sep 1987
Bernardo graduated from the University of Toronto at Scarborough and joined the Toronto office of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Oct 17, 1987
Bernardo met Karla Homolka outside of a hotel restaurant in Scarborough. She was 17 at the time and volunteering at an animal hospital, while Bernardo, then 23, was six years her senior.
Dec 16, 1987
Bernardo committed a rape of a 15-year-old girl on December 16, 1987.
Dec 23, 1987
Bernardo committed a rape of a 17-year-old girl on December 23, 1987. At this point, he began to be known as the Scarborough Rapist.
Apr 18, 1988
Bernardo attacked a 17-year-old girl on April 18, 1988.
May 30, 1988
Bernardo raped an 18-year-old woman in Mississauga, Ontario, on May 30, 1988, about 40 kilometres southwest of Scarborough.
Oct 04, 1988
Bernardo attempted rape in Scarborough on October 4, 1988. Although his intended victim fought him off, Bernardo inflicted two stab wounds to her thigh and buttock which required twelve stitches.
Nov 20, 1990
The interview with Bernardo lasted 35 minutes and Bernardo voluntarily gave samples for forensic testing on November 20, 1990.
Dec 23, 1990
Homolka's younger sister Tammy, 15, chokes on her own vomit and dies on December 24, 1990. Karla later confessed the couple had drugged the girl and videotaped each other sexually assaulting her.
Jan 05, 1991
In January 1993, Homolka was sent to St. Catharines General Hospital after Bernardo beat her with a flashlight. He was arrested and charged but released on bail.
Jun 15, 1991
Leslie Mahaffy, 14, of Burlington, Ontario was abducted near her home by Bernardo and Homolka on June 15, 1991.
Jun 16, 1991
Mahaffy died on June 16, 1991.
Jun 29, 1991
Bernardo and Karla Homolka married on June 29, 1991.
Apr 16, 1992
Kristen French, a 15-year-old schoolgirl was abducted by serial killers Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka on April 16, 1992.
Apr 19, 1992
Kristen French was murdered by Bernardo after being held captive and tortured for three days.
Feb 01, 1993
The Centre of Forensic Sciences proved that Bernardo's DNA matched that of the "Scarborough Rapist."
Feb 17, 1993
Bernardo was arrested in 1993 for the sexual assaults he perpetrated as the Scarborough Rapist and for the kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault and first-degree murders of teenagers Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French.
May 18, 1995
Trial began on May 18, 1995, with lead prosecutor Ray Houlahan describing Bernardo as a sexual sadist who beat his wife and strangled Mahaffy and French.
Sep 01, 1995
After a total of seven hours of deliberation, the jury announces unanimous verdict of guilty to all charges on September 1, 1995.
Sep 15, 1995
Bernardo was sentenced to life in prison in Kingston Penitentiary without the possibility of parole for 25 years on September 15, 1995.
Nov 03, 1995
On November 3, 1995, in a surprise move, Bernardo admitted his guilt in all outstanding matters and accepted the label of "Dangerous Offender". All remaining charges against Paul Bernardo were then stayed.
2013
Bernardo was transferred from Kingston Penitentiary to Millhaven Institution when Kingston Pen closed.
May 2023
Bernardo was transferred from Millhaven Institution to La Macaza Institution in Quebec until May 2023.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
Other · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Bernardo, Paul“Paul was born to Kenneth and Marilyn Bernardo, as a result of her affair with a former boyfriend, in Scarborough Canada.”
News report · Yahoo News Canada ·
'Ken Killer' Paul Bernardo was sentenced 30 years ago — Here's where he is now“In 1995, Paul Bernardo was convicted of the murders of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy, as well as the manslaughter of Tammy Homolka.”
Other government record · Wikipedia ·
Murder of Leslie Mahaffy“Leslie Erin Mahaffy (July 5, 1976 – June 16, 1991) was a 14-year-old Canadian girl and the first murder victim of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka.”
Other · Grokipedia ·
Paul Bernardo“Initially notorious as the "Scarborough Rapist" for committing at least 18 violent sexual assaults between May 1987 and 1990, Bernardo escalated his crimes after marrying Karla Homolka in 1991”
Other government record · Wikipedia ·
Murder of Kristen French“French, a 15-year-old schoolgirl was abducted by serial killers Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka on April 16, 1992.”
Other government record · Wikipedia ·
Paul Bernardo“Born: Paul Kenneth Bernardo August 27, 1964 (age 62) Scarborough, Ontario, Canada”
Other · The Canadian Encyclopedia ·
Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka Case“Around 1 a.m. on 4 May 1987, a young woman was attacked and raped within minutes of getting off a bus near her home in Scarborough”
Law enforcement release · Correctional Service Canada ·
Review into Paul Bernardo's Security Reclassification and Transfer“Paul Bernardo is serving a life sentence since September 1, 1995. He was declared a dangerous offender on November 3, 1995.”
News report · Carleton University News ·
Politicians shouldn't determine where Paul Bernardo is imprisoned“Bernardo has been incarcerated since his arrest in 1993 for the sexual assaults he perpetrated as the Scarborough Rapist and for the kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault and first-degree murders of teenagers Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French.”
News report · United Press International ·
Chronology of Bernardo murder trial“September 1, 1995: After a total of seven hours of deliberation, the jury announces unanimous verdict of guilty to all charges.”
Other · Google Groups ·
Bernardo Rape Victims Speak“On 3 November 1995, in a surprise move, Bernardo admitted his guilt in all outstanding matters and accepted the label of "Dangerous Offender".”
Discussion
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