SASKATOON – He’s been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Lorry Santos, an innocent Saskatoon mother who was fatally shot on Sept. 12, 2012. Now, accused killer Joshua Petrin has headed to trial in Alberta on an unrelated murder charge.
Monday would mark day one of Petrin’s first-degree murder trial in St. Paul, Alta. for the death of 35-year-old Bryan Gower.
The trial comes more than three years after Gower’s body was discovered on a rural road near Kitscoty, Alta. on Sept. 25, 2012 after police were called out for gunfire complaints.
The Chief Crown Prosecutor for the case told Global News he plans to call approximately 15 witnesses to present evidence during the trial. One of the 15, a co-accused in the case, is protected by a publication ban.
The trial has been scheduled for two weeks.
A third man involved, Randy O’Hagan, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection to Gower’s death last year. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 11 years.
O’Hagan will be 58 before he is eligible for parole after receiving life with no chance of parole for 25 years after being convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Santos for a total of 36 years of ineligibility.
A trial date for Petrin as it relates to Santos has yet to be set. The case has been circulating through the court system in Saskatoon but was postponed once again after his defence team withdrew from the case in December.
In December 2012, three men were arrested in Alberta and charged with Lorry Ann Santos’ death after an eight-week joint investigation by members of the Saskatoon Police Service major crimes section, the Saskatoon Integrated Drug Unit, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team, the RCMP “K” Division and the Edmonton Police Service.
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