A judge and panel have reserved a decision after the appeal hearing for a Calgary man found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his ex-fiancée who has asked for the lesser conviction of second-degree murder.
Kristopher Guenther is appealing on the grounds the trial judge made an error in law by ruling he confined Lacey Jones McKnight before killing her. That ruling raised the crime from second-degree murder to first-degree murder.
Court heard Wednesday Jones McKnight was tied up: both hands and feet were bound. Guenther’s defence lawyer said there were no signs of a struggle and that she was tied up as part of a consensual sexual act.
The victim’s mother, Shelly Jones, said she was distraught to hear the details in court once again, but is relying on others for support.
“She was an amazing human being, a beautiful soul and you can see—after four-and-a-half years the amount of people that are here—just how much her death has affected them,” Shelly Jones said.
Watch below: Court heard victim impact statements in the murder case of Lacey Jones-McKnight on April 28, 2015. Tracy Nagai reports.
Jones McKnight was murdered in October 2012 by Guenther in an argument over infidelity.
His behaviour on that day included driving around Calgary with his ex-fiancee’s body in his vehicle, then attempting to hang himself from a bridge before being rescued by police.
In March, a judge found Guenther guilty, calling his actions “monstrous.”
READ MORE: Court releases 911 call made on night of Lacey Jones-McKnight’s murder
He was given an automatic life sentence in April, with no parole eligibility for 25 years. He filed his appeal in June.
Lawyers on both sides concluded their arguments Wednesday morning. The judge and panel agreed to reserve their decision on the appeal for another day, to be scheduled.
With files from Bindu Suri and Gary Bobrovitz
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