Closing arguments were heard Thursday afternoon in Tyler Hurd‘s first-degree murder trial in the death of Cynthia Crampton.
A jury will now decide between a first-degree or a second-degree murder sentence for Hurd.
The basic elements of the murder are not disputed. Both the defence and the Crown agree Hurd, 35, committed the violent attack resulting in Crampton’s death in Saskatoon in June 2016. They also agreed there was an intent to commit murder.
However, defence lawyer Morris Bodner argued the killing was not deliberate and not planned and it was therefore not suitable to sentence Hurd for first-degree murder.
Bodnar called for a second-degree murder sentence, as he told the jury he wanted his client convicted of the right offence, and Hurd nodded in the prisoner’s box.
Hurd’s defence lawyer pointed to the fact if his client was planning a murder, he should have planned to leave and get away with it, instead of staying in Saskatoon for days.
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Bodnar went on to say premeditated argues intent, not a plan, and Hurd “knew what he had done, but had no other concept of timing or deliberation.”
Crown prosecutor Sheryl Fillo said there was “a lot of evidence of the deliberate act” as she called on the jury to decide on a first-degree murder sentence.
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Fillo quoted Hurd from his videotaped confession, when he told Saskatoon police he carried out “cold-blooded, premeditated murder.”
Fillo said it was indeed deliberate because Hurd made the decision to wait to kill Crampton until the day she got paid so he could profit.
The Crown added Hurd tried to memorize Crampton’s phone password while she was still alive, to manipulate people through her phone, however, Hurd was unsuccessful.
Hurd also killed Crampton in the bathroom because he said he watched crime shows and knew it would be easier to clean up, according to the Crown.
Fillo added the physical evidence matched up with Hurd’s confession to police and added there was “so much evidence of planning, I’m going to have to cut out things.”
Crampton, 55, lived in a basement suite in the Stonebridge neighbourhood, which is where her daughter found her body.
The jury is expected to begin deliberations Friday morning.
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