Shawn Wruck was sentenced Thursday to life in prison with no chance of parole for 13 years in the 2008 death of his girlfriend Shannon Collins.
READ MORE: Shawn Wruck found guilty of murdering his girlfriend Shannon Collins
In January, Wruck was found guilty of second-degree murder of Collins, whose remains were discovered on a rural property east of Edmonton almost a decade ago.
Collins’ remains were discovered on a property in Strathcona County.
Wruck was initially charged with first-degree murder, but the judge found him guilty of the lesser charge because she said prior planning could not be proven.
To make its case against Wruck, the Crown was given permission to use evidence gathered against him through a controversial law enforcement tactic known as a Mr. Big Sting.
READ MORE: Alberta judge rules evidence gathered from Mr. Big sting is admissible
Over the course of a five-month investigation, the sting saw the RCMP convince Wruck he was part of a crime ring during which time he confessed to killing Collins by strangling her then dumping her body.
Dubbed Project Kolumbo, the operation saw undercover officers develop scenarios to gain Wruck’s trust beginning in November 2012, in which they led him to believe they were members of a gang.
READ MORE: ‘Project Kolumbo’ secures murder confession through Mr. Big sting
On Jan. 13, 2017, the judge told an Edmonton court she believed Wruck strangled Collins.
“I’m pretty darn happy,” the victim’s mother Maureen Collins said after the verdict. “I’m emotional. I’m a basket case but it’s just been a tremendous day for us all.
“She was a good person, and she didn’t deserve this – not at all.”
In addition to his prison sentence, Wruck was also given a 10-year weapons prohibition.
Comments