Hutchison, Katy 1961-

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Hutchison, Katy 1961-

PERSONAL:

Born 1961; married Bob McIntosh, 1988 (murdered December 31, 1997); married Michael Hutchison (a lawyer); children (first marriage): Emma, Sam.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Victoria, British Columbia, Canada E-mail—kay@katyhutchisonpresents.com.

CAREER:

Regional economic development analyst; assistant in private law practice of husband, Michael Hutchison, 1998—; public speaker, 2003—; advocate, restorative justice programs.

WRITINGS:

Walking after Midnight: One Woman's Journey through Murder, Justice & Forgiveness, New Harbinger Publications (Oakland, CA), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Walking after Midnight: One Woman's Journey through Murder, Justice & Forgiveness recounts how Katy Hutchison came to terms with the murder of her first husband in 1997. Bob McIntosh, a well-liked lawyer in Squamish, British Columbia, was punched and kicked to death when he tried to shut down an unsupervised teen party that had spiraled out of control. No one claimed responsibility, and local residents did not cooperate with the police investigation. Five years later, when the police finally arrested Ryan Aldridge for the crime, Hutchison agreed to meet with the killer in jail. "As he sobbed, it was all I could do not to hold him," she commented in an interview posted on the Forgiveness Project Web site. "Second to the day I gave birth, it was probably the most human moment of my life." Hutchison discovered that she could forgive Ryan and that she could best honor Bob's memory by becoming an advocate for compassion and healing. As she explained in the interview, "whether victim or perpetrator, part of being human is rolling up our sleeves and taking an active part in repairing harm." Critics found Hutchison's story powerful and inspiring. A contributor to Publishers Weekly described Walking after Midnight as a "compelling" memoir and a "cautionary tale about the dangers of teenage substance abuse." Hutchison speaks frequently across Canada about restorative justice, a program that advocates for reconciliation between victims and offenders.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

California Bookwatch, March 1, 2007, Diane C. Donovan, review of Walking after Midnight: One Woman's Journey through Murder, Justice & Forgiveness.

Library Journal, September 15, 2006, Karen Sandlin Silverman, review of Walking after Midnight, p. 69.

Publishers Weekly, August 14, 2006, review of Walking after Midnight, p. 195.

Reader's Digest, November 1, 2006, "A Conversation with Katy: Katy Hutchison Talks about Moving On after Life-Altering Tragedy," p. 184.