REGINA – The community of Standing Buffalo First Nation now has some closure following a double homicide dating back more than two-and-a-half years.
Jessica Redman and Sheldon Yuzicappi were brutally beaten and stabbed to death in October 2012 and on Thursday, the third and final person charged in their murders was sentenced.
After pleading guilty to two charges of second-degree murder, the judge decided to hand down an adult sentence for the young offender, meaning he has been sentenced to life in prison.
Senior Crown Prosecutor, Kelly Kaip, said there were a number of reasons she was asking for an adult sentence, including the accused’s lengthy record under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, and the seriousness of the crime.
“We certainly were shocked by the level of violence and brutality in this particular crime,” Kaip said. “We had two innocent victims that were unarmed. Their home was invaded.”
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Because the crime happened as a youth, the offender is eligible for parole after seven years.
“He’s really had a change of light with his lifestyle from when he was 17 to now when he’s 20 with all the programming. If he keeps up with the programming he could contribute to society,” said Richard Yaholnitsky with Yorkton Legal Aid. He called the judge’s decision fair.
Yaholnitsky said his client suffers from an alcohol related neurological disorder, similar to fetal alcohol syndrome, which impairs his cognitive abilities.
The man cannot be named as he was underage at the time of the murders.
The judge said she hopes maintaining a publication ban on his identity will help him re-integrate into the community once his time is served.
The man’s co-accused, Brittany Bear and Kody Bear, were also given life sentences.
The victims’ families chose not to speak to media.
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