CALGARY – Mitchell Harkes sobbed loudly while a jury read his verdict Saturday afternoon – sentencing him to a life in prison with no chance of parole for 10-25 years. The 22-year-old was found guilty of all charges including second-degree murder, attempted murder and aggravated assault.
Brett Wiese, 20, died after being stabbed in the back outside a Brentwood home in the early morning hours of January 12, 2013. He and Colton Lewis were stabbed several times, but Lewis recovered.
Police said violence erupted when several uninvited party goers who had been ejected from the house later returned.
Then 17-year-old Jazlyn Radke was found guilty of second-degree murder in spring of 2014 for inflicting the fatal stab wound. Evidence showed she spent hours rounding up her friends and orchestrating a revenge-motivated attack after being evicted from the back-to-school university party. She was sentenced to life in prison without any chance of parole for seven years.
Wiese’s family was on hand for Harkes’ verdict Saturday.
“The verdict today, as well as Radke’s verdict and her sentence really has little or no meaning or bearing on us and our future,” said Brenda Wiese outside court.
“We are clearly the ones that have been given a life sentence.”
Defence lawyer Balfour Der had told a jury that Harkes was acting in self-defence when he and several friends entered the home on Brisebois Dr. Northwest. Der claimed Harkes had no idea that Radke was going to stab someone.
“He’s devastated,” says Der. “He was a 19-year-old kid when this happened. He’s facing a life sentence now. 19-years-old going for life. He’s got no hope for parole for at least 10 years. The young man is absolutely devastated. He doesn’t think he’s a murderer. I don’t think the evidence supported that he is a murder.”
Der added that he is recommending Harkes appeal the decision. He will be sentenced next week.
Wiese came to the University of Calgary from Ponoka, and was a third-year Bachelor of Commerce student when he was killed.
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