The Alberta Court of appeal has decided Katrina Effert will not be convicted of second murder instead the Edmonton woman will be convicted of infanticide.
Katrina Effert was found guilty of second degree murder in 2009, over the death of her newborn baby in 2005. Court documents provide the following details.
“The appellant (Katrina Effert), then aged 19, became pregnant, but kept her pregnancy secret from her
family, her friends, and the baby’s father. She was not in a long-term relationship with the father,
and received no emotional support from him. She received no medical treatment during her
pregnancy. On April 13, 2005 she gave birth to the baby, unattended, in the basement of her parents’
home. Within a few hours of his birth, the appellant strangled the baby with her underwear, and then
threw him over a fence into the neighbour’s yard. The appellant originally disclaimed any
knowledge of the matter, and told a number of lies to the police about the baby, but within a few
days of its discovery her connection to the baby was revealed. She was eventually charged with murder.”
On Monday, the Alberta Court of Appeal decided to impose an infanticide charge instead. Infanticide carries a maximum sentence of 5 years while a second degree murder charge results in a life sentence with a possibility of parole after 10 years.
The court has yet to announce a re-sentencing date for Katrina Effert.
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