Susanna Balogh, Matthew Sitte and Paul Brady
Parents with a developmentally disabled child often have a great deal of stress over who will take care of their child when the parent is gone. Parents know that they have to do what they can while they’re around in order to get the child as self-sufficient as possible.
That’s what Deborah Laramey was doing with her 23-year-old daughter, Katlin Cousineau. Katlin had the mental acuity of a 13 or 14-year-old, but was making progress. She was getting checks from the government every month, and learning how to deal with being on her own.
Katlin Cousineau had made a friend, 33-year-old Susanna Balogh, who invited Katlin to live in her house in the country with her and her three sons, who were 11, 12 and 13 years old, respectively. Katlin signed her checks over to Susanna, who gave her an allowance every month and provided food and so on for her.
Also living on the property were 20 cats, four dogs and many rabbits. This was a lively house.
It was also insured for $100,000.
Around the first of November, two men moved into Susanna Balogh’s house to help with expenses. One of the men was 25-year-old Matthew Sitte, the other 41-year-old Paul Brady.
Neither of the men who moved in particularly liked Katlin Cousineau. Some people just don’t feel comfortable around the developmentally disabled, for whatever reason.
The men started to abuse the girl. Pushing her. Slapping her. Hitting her.
They also convinced Susanna Balogh to move Katlin down into the unfinished basement to sleep.
On the 12th of November, 2005, something set Matthew Sitte off. It could have been when he found the house was insured for so much, or it could have been something else. On that morning, however, Matthew Sitte and Paul Brady went down into Katlin’s basement room with a pair of handcuffs, some gasoline and a blowtorch.
For several hours the two men tortured Katlin Cousineau while she was naked, handcuffed and unable to move. They slapped and hit her. They kicked her. They held the blowtorch to various parts of her body and burned her. After burning the girl, Matthew Sitte would throw rubbing alcohol on the wounds.
Yes, they tortured a helpless girl for several hours.
While they were doing this, Susanna Balogh was sitting upstairs with her kids, watching TV and ignoring the blood-curdling screams coming from the basement.
Eventually, Katlin Cousineau couldn’t take any more abuse and died. Matthew Sitte and Paul Brady went back upstairs, leaving the girl’s body in handcuffs and a blowtorch between her legs.
That night, all three talked about how to dispose of Katlin’s body and the subject of the insurance on the house came up.
What better way to hide a blowtorch torture session than with a little arson?
On the 13th of November, 2005, armed with a few cans of gasoline, Matthew Sitte set the stage for insurance fraud, going through the house and liberally scattering the gas over everything. He took special care to cover Katlin’s body in gas as well, but didn’t remove the blowtorch, probably hoping that investigators would look at the resulting fire as something the girl had done to herself.
Matthew Sitte set the fire while everyone else packed and they all went to a hotel.
Within hours of the house burning to the ground, Susanna Balogh filed a claim on her insurance and collected the $100,000 that the house was covered for.
A fire investigator did find Katlin’s charred body, along with the handcuffs, a few cans of gasoline and the blowtorch – but something didn’t quite ring true. An autopsy done on Katlin revealed that she had died of a sudden and unnatural death, and there was evidence that she had been tortured and had died from the torture before the fire burned her.
The plan had almost worked.
Matthew Sitte, Paul Brady and Susanna Balogh were arrested.
Susanna pled guilty to criminal negligence causing death, conspiracy to commit arson and obstruction of justice and was sentenced to eight years in prison, minus time served.
Matthew Sitte pled guilty to to second-degree murder in exchange for his testimony against Paul Brady. Matthew’s fate will be determined by the judge on the 26th of October, 2007.
Paul Brady’s still waiting his turn at the wheel.
Do Susanna Balogh, Matthew Sitte and Paul Brady deserve Hell?
- Yes - all of them (97%, 658 Votes)
- No - neither (1%, 10 Votes)
- Yes - but only Paul Brady (1%, 4 Votes)
- Yes - but only Susanna Balogh (0%, 3 Votes)
- Yes - but only Matthew Sitte (1%, 2 Votes)
Total Voters: 677
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30 Comments »
Where is Deborah Laramey in all of this?
its bad for what they did but its up to god to do the punishing of what they did on earth put them away for life and when they die its up to god god is the power of it all and all we can do is prey for the ones that did this and the for the family that lost a wounderful girl
bloody sickening.
God I hate people… not just for shit like this, but mostly. Thanks for letting your fellow man know what’s up.
Jordan
i just dont know where people like this get off!!! they all deserve to rot in hell!!! lock them up and throw away the key!!!
That poor girl. What pain. These people are cold hearted & sick … as are so many these days.
All three of them are guilty!! People like this make me sick, taking advantage of someone just because they know they can. If these 3 jackasses felt the need to take advantage of a girl who has the capability of a 13 year old it says a lot about how smart these 3 were….
Um yeah, this would be the oldest son to the women Sussana. Im shon…and yeah it really hurts to see what people have written about my mother, but in fairness i cant dissagree with your opinions. I am now 15, turning 16 in june, and im all sorry to hear what all of you have to say. Its painful just to even read about what had happend, the memories…the fear. For 2 years, i spent my life in fear, living nightmares. I was not so sure of what i wanted. I was suicidle, and wanted myself to perish. Because of what mylife had brought forth. I am now currently in Foster care, and have been for about 2 years now. I live with all my Brothers, Lloyd and Andrew John ( The last name comes from my step father Mike John who had adopted us and was with my mother for several years) I really dont know who to react to all of this again, and also to what everyone has said. To i think my mother should rot in hell….well i hated her for the longest time. Because she wont be there, for my teen years. She wont be there to watch me finaly grow up. And of course, she lied to me about everything that went on. I was completely unaware of this, all thogh i was a witness to the murder, and testified against Paul Brady. Well i really dont know what to say, i just wanted to point out that my life in a better direction that what it was, and i am currently doing fine and well. I am not “fucked” up as one women had said in previous comments, tho i was. But i am moving on and learning to fight the horror, and get rid of and ease the pain.
Shon John,
It takes quite a bit of fortitude to come back from a situation like that and hold your head up. It’s tough luck that you had endure that type of shit but you seem to have done fine. Keep on truckin man, I hope your life continues to get better.
Thanks. I don’t really know how to or even what to say to most people when this subject is brought up. I am quite open about it now, and yes my life has definitely brightened up with new perks and opportunities. Again, thanks.
Don’t give your mom a second chance. Totally disown her. You are a new person, you can survive without her help.
Yoh fuck you, thats a totally dick move, im her youngest son asshole, and just because she fucked up BIG time doesnt mean she doesnt deserve another chance, you dont know her like i do, and honestly, i dont think anyones a bad person in any way, some people have had it harder than others and my mom has had an unbelievable shitty ass hard life, so its not a surprise she fucked up, but atleast shes cleaning up, and for your information, if she hadnt have done that paul brady would have killed all 3 of us, so she did that to protect us, so dont go shooting off your mouth about shit you dont know
Shon, I don’t believe most adults would know what to say about this, so don’t be too hard on yourself for not knowing how to approach it. I’m glad to hear you’re together with your brothers and you are getting a new start in life. I don’t think that anyone thinks you’re “fucked up.” I think she just meant that your mom put you in a situation that has caused irreparable harm. Good luck to you, Shon. I hope your life keeps getting better and better.
I am the son of the women you are referring to, Susanna Balogh. I am Shon John. I am the oldest of the three brothers Lloyd and Andrew John. If your wondering where i get my last name, i get it from my previous step dad Mike John, he had adopted me and my brothers at age 4. He had spend many years with my mother, and had left one day. And she had soon met Paul Brady. Anyways. I just wanted to tell you sorry for the pain you had to endure and go through. Tho i myself had also had to endure allot of pain because of this scenario. I had to deal with very much and i wanted to say i did not appreciate being called “fucked” up. Yes i was a very scared child because of this, but i am passed this now, and am doing better with my life. But again i am sorry.
Its hard to disown your own mother, even after all she may have done to you or what she has done to altar your lifestyle. My life has most certainly changed due to the actions of which my mother had proceeded with. I do believe i still love my mother tho i also hate her within every portion of my body. My life has spun downwards and upwards to a devastating degree. Things that have happened to me that i can never regain or take back. My life today has been alright but I myself still undergo many challenges and difficulties. Some in which i wish i would not have to face, or even have to face. But i still must go through and face the challenges which face me ahead. Thank you all for giving me your opinions and thoughts of this. I will continue to read what other people have to say about this.
I understand.
Mr. Shon John, you are better than me in that respect.
It’s not hard for me to disown anyone.
As a consequence, it has been my personal hell that I live with everyday. But, the memories aren’t there anymore – just a black void.
The positive is comparable to the metamorphosis of a butterfly in which the caterpillar transforms into something colorful. The professionals instructed me to join a forum to help relieve pent-up anger and frustration; hence my presence here in PYSIH.
to Shon John
I am the person who wrote that long, very angry post about my best friend, Katlin in December. I just wanted to say that I am so sorry that you had to go through all of that, and all that goes through my mind is what you guys heard that night and what Katlin went thorough, and that your mother did not do anything to stop it and that is why I am so angry. All I know is what I read here and in the papers and that phone call I will never forget for the rest of my life, and I don’t know all the details but I am still in that dark place and can not fathom or comprehend why these men did this….your mom was neglegent and she is by
no means innocent, so I can’t say I don’t have immense rage towards her for not stopping it especially with her children (you and your brothers ) there….I just want to know why these men did it, and if I don’t know, I don’t think I will ever have closure until I know why….maybe you do? I went to Sitte’s sentencing and the unemotional blank look on his face made me want to do anything I could to get to him, but I stayed silent because it was a court proceeding, although our judicial system is fucked up.he didn’t show any kind of remorse….and I just don’t understand what my best friend in the whole universe could have done to provoke the most sadistic torture I’ve heard of. I can’t stop thinking about it and it consumes me because for years, I looked after her in school when people were assholes, and for some reason, I feel guilty for not being there, even though we had our own lives, but we were like sisters and there is not a day that goes by that I don’t sob uncontrollably and have a deep black hole of dispair in the pit of my stomach…..I’m sorry that I called you fucked up, but in reality it did….for a while….and I apologize if I offended you….if you would like to talk personally my e-mail is AngelWhisper_7@hotmail.com or respond here…….maybe you have more insight that can help me get through this myself…..
I had added you online to messenger, you may speak to me there. I have no objections to it. Thank you, and i again am sorry.
Good luck to you, your brothers and Melissa.
I wish you as much peace as you can gain back in your lives,
Keep your heads up. There is only one way to go and that’s up and on.
I hope that the law get’s accepted !
Take care.
ZGC
OK I am usually a hard ass and this is part of my training to read this website ( I am trying to desensitize myself to be a cop. This hurt me alot I mean almost brought tears to my eyes. This girl trusted the lady and she betrayed her. She let her die. I mean I am for torture of guilty parties but a person who is mentally underdeveloped you can’t even imagine the horror. I look at the picture and feel a bit of the pain this poor girl suffered over what? NOTHING!!! These folks should burn in hell for all eternity.
It’s been over a year since I wrote that badly worded, rageful first post….time has passed and slowly I am putting my broken heart together….I am still VERY full of rage and I still don’t know what happened with Paul Bradys’ court case…., but one of my o friends apparntly knew him and is from Waubashene, Ontario. She said he had a very uncontrollable temper…he moved in with Balough and started treating Katlin terribly, along with Sitte, but I have no idea how these fuckers (I appologize for the prophanity, but I must express myself) came up with the idea to do THAT to her. I can’t even look at a blowtorch without picturing in my mind what they did. The blowtorch that was in my house was disposed of, lets just put it that way. I have tried and tried to figure this all out…and I just can’t….so now, I am taking action on this one. No one in the area seems to give a fuck, or has forgotten, so I’m going to throw it into the spotlight very soon. I am going to be shortly organizing an online petition, and am currently working with Government Legeslature to have a CANADA WIDE Bill passed in her memory. I will make sure NOTHING like this happens again to ANY DISABLED PERSON! I can’t control the world, but maybe I can help control the way people with disabilities are taken care of… I will update this page when things start moving along. If anyone wants to contact me to help in any way feel free to e-mail me at AngelWhisper_7@hotmail.com and my name is Melissa Price.
You go girl. And please do keep us updated.
Melissa – Healing takes a lot of time. As a close friend of Katlin’s, you have definitely been through trauma… not only b/c she passed away, but because of the horrifying way that she died. It will take years for you to come to terms with it, but the pain never goes away. You answered my question as I was reading the story, her mom. Her mom wanted to teach her to be independent and sent her to live with some other woman? She could have opted for a community home or something like that, not a stranger’s house where she obviously wasn’t checking up on how her daughter was treated. And obviously her daughter did not feel comfortable telling her own mother that she was being abused, which says a lot. May this beautiful woman rest in peace.
Much luck to Melissa and Shon John. It seems like both of you are using this situation to become stronger, healthier people. I hope that the healing process gets a little easier from here.
Fuck-a-duck! How can people turn into monsters like this!
It’s irritating they should all have life sentences without possibility of parole. and Hell of course!
There is so much evil in this world, if we knew of everything no one would get out of their homes anymore!
I’m sick of it.
Where is Bruce Wayne when you need him!
Shon John,
I am not sure if you will remeber me or not, But I was friends with your Mom a very longtime ago, We went to Highschool together.
I am so sorry for all that you and your brothers have been through, When I heard your Moms name on the radio all I could think about was where you three were and who was taking care of you all. I am glad that you are in Foster Care getting the help you all need to deal with the childhood you have had. I wish you all the greatest chance at a Normal life, with or without your mother.
Your Mom tried her best to do right by all of you, I know she wanted to give you all the best life could offer you, Something tells me though the guys that were living in your house was not the best life could offer.
I have not spoken to your Mom in about 11 years, Mostly due to the fact that I could not handle everything that was going on with her, I knew your Dad as well, and I spoke with him from time to time just after they split up.
Anyways I just wanted to wish you and your borthers the best of luck in all that you do forever, you were all such sweet lil boys, you derserved none of this.
I hate peoples sympathy :P
Firstly as the sister and Aunt to these children maybe this site needs to do some researching to find out WHAT REALLY happened instead of just writing half truths!!!!!! Further more Things aren’t as they seem and to disown the women that did what she did to protect her children is totally wrong any one of us would have done the same to keep their children safe!!!
hmm well they didnt get all of this right. missed alot,
She was a good person,, my friend!
dont give them sympathy. they do not deserve it.
especially not Paul Bradey! he doesnt deserve it at all.
dont ask who i am or anything.. im not going to answer i just want evryone to not have sympathy for these people (Paul and Matthew)! Katlin was the greatest person ever, what they did was horrible and unforgivable!
good luck the 3 boys <3 s,l,a! (so sorry this happened to you stay strong)
R.I.P Katlin Cousineau <3
this is one sick bitch i was in prison with her and shes a low life piece of shit that should have the same thing done to her that,that little girl had done to her.what person in there right mind would allow something like this happen and do nothing about it come on its olny commen sense to help the little girl even if it puts youre own life at risk.susanna balogh definatly belongs in HELL
ok if the men did this to this little girl. could you know what they would of did to. susanna’s boys. i just read about this store and it makes me sick. and while she has been in jail her son andrew has passt away. as for paul brady and matthew sitte i know will end up in hell. as for susanna she need help also for what it did to her and she know what losing a child is … i lost a child and nothing neaver will be the same. shon try and have a good life for you. and if you are like your broughter loyd. you will have a chance. but her does not know me by kathy