WINNIPEG — John Paul Ostamas, the Winnipeg man who admitted to killing three homeless men, will spend the rest of his life in prison.
On Monday, Ostamas was sentenced to 75 years without a chance of parole. The crown said this is the harshest sentence in Manitoba since the death penalty was abolished in 1976. Ostamas will serve 25 years consecutively for each victim.
Ostamas pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in April 2015 after the deaths of Donald Collins, 65, Stony Stanley Bushie, 48, and Myles Monias, 37.
“Society doesn’t have to live with this man and I’m glad for that,” Ron Monias, Myles’ father said.
Monias was attacked in a bus shelter at Main Street and Pioneer on April 10, 2015 and left to die. Just over two weeks later on April 25, Collins was attacked in a back lane near Hargrave Street and Portage Avenue. Just hours later, Bushie was killed in a parkade nearby.
“We can rest now and be happy and move on with our lives,” Franklin Bushie, Stony’s nephew said.
Bushie and Monias’ families were both present in court. Emotional family impact statements were read.
The crown and defense jointly recommended the sentence.
WATCH: Families of victims react to charges laid in ‘homeless homicides’ case