# Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father(spoilers after 1st post)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zachary-a-letter-to-a-son-about-his-father-spoilers-after-1st-post/546058>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 9, 2010, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zachary-a-letter-to-a-son-about-his-father-spoilers-after-1st-post/546058 "2010-07-09T03:06:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zachary-a-letter-to-a-son-about-his-father-spoilers-after-1st-post/546058/22 "2014-03-16T20:55:53Z")

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I’d seen several references to this movie on the Dope, and just watched it last night. A very powerful documentary. I knew what was going to happen but it was still a punch to the gut. Appallingly bad decisions by the judge and social services.

I would like to have learned more about the killer’s family (were her parents still alive at the time?), and I wonder if one of the reasons the Canadian judicial system was so reluctant to order her extradition was because she might have faced the death penalty in Pennsylvania.

Two minor criticisms: Sometimes the music was almost comically overdramatic, and the use of crudely-animated moving mouths on photos of the trial judge and the top Newfoundland social worker was, I thought, a cheap shot.

Here’s the trailer, BTW: [Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father Official Trailer #1 Documentary (2008) HD - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZXatzQ1kzg)

And here’s the website. The good news: Canadian law was changed four years ago, largely due to the Bagbys’ lobbying, to require judges to deny bail to anyone who might pose a risk to children: [http://dearzachary.com/](http://dearzachary.com/)

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**Author:** ![Katherinelea23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Katherinelea23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katherinelea23)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zachary-a-letter-to-a-son-about-his-father-spoilers-after-1st-post/546058/23 "2015-10-25T23:58:47Z")

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> [@Mahaloth](#):
>
> My wife and I just watched this movie and we are beyond upset.
> 
> A woman, who obviously killed a man, is allowed to have custody of their child. Then, being mentally unstable, she kills the child and herself.
> 
> I’m so filled with rage. I have no idea how this can happen. ☹  
> 😕  
> :mad:
> 
> :mad:  
> Has anyone else seen this? Anyone have follow up info. as to what happened to the judges responsible?

would love to hear that someone is taking responsibility for an atrocity that perpetrated the life these wonderful people. This woman is a monster, and I couldn’t help but see the actions of recently jailed Jodi Arias in her evilness. I’ve seen this powerful story already and couldn’t stand to see it again. But I’ve just watched again and want to know that Something has changed because of their incredible pain and strength.

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