Convictions of first-degree murder against a father and stepmother who killed six-year-old Meika Jordan have been upheld by Canada’s top court.
Meika’s mother and stepfather, Kyla and Brian Woodhouse, left the Supreme Court with tears in their eyes and giant smiles on their faces.
After six years of court proceedings, they said there is finally justice for Meika.
“It’s finally over,” Brian said. “It’s brought some closure to everything we’ve gone through.”
Meika was tortured and murdered in November 2011.
The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) began hearing the case on Monday morning and several hours later dismissed all appeals by Spencer Jordan and Marie Magoon.
Jordan and Magoon were originally convicted of second-degree murder, but the Alberta Court of Appeal upgraded the convictions to first-degree murder in December 2016.
The SCC refused to hear an appeal to have the convictions quashed altogether-but did hear arguments on the Alberta Court of Appeal decision to upgrade the charge.
The nine justices of the SCC took less than 10 minutes to make their decision to dismiss all appeals.
“We were anticipating a couple of weeks to a couple of months—and for them to walk out of that room and actually say it right then and there—is huge for us and Meika,” Kyla said.
Written reasons for the ruling will be released at a later date.
Meika died on Nov. 14, 2011. She was tortured for days leading up to her death-forced to run stairs, dragged up and down the stairs by her ankles, repeatedly hit and even burned.
Both Jordan and Magoon confessed to police in an undercover Mr. Big sting operation.