WARNING: This story contains disturbing content. Discretion is strongly advised.
Funding has been approved for further mental health testing of two brothers convicted of kidnapping and repeatedly raping a 17-year-old Calgary girl.
Legal Aid Alberta has approved payment for pricey and specialized fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) assessments for Corey and Cody Manyshots. The tests cost $5,500 per person.
The brothers pleaded guilty to the November 2014 kidnapping and sexual assault of the teen last fall.
Watch below: Cody and Corey Manyshots made surprise guilty pleas in a horrifying case of abuse. The brothers admit to kidnapping and sexually assaulting a young girl in November 2014. Global’s Nancy Hixt reports. WARNING: The details may be disturbing.
READ MORE: 17-year-old girl sexually assaulted at multiple locations
In July, a sentencing hearing was cut short to allow defence lawyers more time to explore whether mental health issues are an issue for the brothers.
Then in November, both defence teams expressed concern the Manyshots brothers have FASD. They told court they could get genetic testing done to confirm the diagnosis, but said it’s an expensive process.
Now that funding for the procedures has been approved, the case has been put over until June 2, when the defence team is expected to make further submissions.
Court heard the testing will take several months; the judge has agreed to put off sentencing until it’s complete.
Alain Hepner, defence lawyer for Cody, said the testing will likely impact the end sentencing decision.
“It’s hugely important,” he said outside court Thursday.
“FASD is a real possibility…I think it would reduce the moral blameworthiness.”
The judge has agreed to put off sentencing until it’s complete.
READ MORE: Manyshots brothers admit to kidnap and repeated rape of Calgary teen
Cody’s defence lawyer has said a six-year sentence would be appropriate, minus (enhanced) credit-leaving approximately four years left to serve. Corey asked for time served (at enhanced 1.5 credit) plus two years.
Watch below: There was another delay in the sentencing of two brothers on Nov. 25. There are concerns over their mental health, and in an unusual move, members of the community spoke out in support of the victim. Here’s Nancy Hixt.
The prosecution told court the victim has said she “will never be the same again.” The judge acknowledged obvious emotional, physical and psychological damage.
Details of the horrific events are documented in an agreed statement of facts.
READ MORE: No charges to be laid against father of brothers who pleaded guilty to rape of Calgary teen
Agreed statement of facts describes horrific attack
The teenage girl was watching movies with a friend the night of the attack. Her friend walked her to a bus stop a few houses away and waited with her for some time. It was cold that night, so she told him he could go home.
As he left, two men approached her. Corey and Cody Manyshots asked the girl for directions. She was uneasy and twice tried to dial the cellphone she held in her hand. Both calls failed.
The brothers grabbed her and forced her into a nearby alley. Corey smashed her phone.
Each took a turn raping and sodomizing her; Corey forced her to perform oral sex. The two forced her to walk with them to their home in Martindale.
READ MORE: Bail denied for Manyshots brothers accused of kidnapping and sexual assault
Manyshots’ father sat in the living room with another man as they brought the young girl into the house. She tried to look to the father for help, but no one intervened.
The brothers took her to the basement, threw her onto a makeshift bed and took turns raping and sodomizing her.
The girl told police she worried if she didn’t “take it” she would be killed.
Between the assaults, Corey cooked. His girlfriend and child were in also in the home and saw the young girl. The victim also watched them take drugs that she believed to be crack.
She waited until they were asleep, then snuck out the back door.
Once outside, she wrote on her hand the address, the name “Cody” and several words including “native” and “black and red shovel.”
With her cellphone gone, she caught a bus, CTrain and another bus until finally she could run home.
Her mother took her to a nearby police district where she described the brutal attack.
She was able to give directions for investigators, who drove her to the area where she was kidnapped and found the home in which she was held captive.
The teen was able to pick both Corey and Cody out of separate photo lineups. On Corey’s photo she wrote “this is the man.” On his brother’s photo, she wrote “Cody.”
The Crown called this one of the worst cases he’d ever seen when the facts were admitted in October 2015.