Just over three years after 24-year-old Lena Steinhauer’s body was found in a central Edmonton apartment suite, her boyfriend has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for her violent death.
Ryan Matchee had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with Lena’s death. According to an agreed statement of facts, Matchee was high on drugs when he beat Lena over an extended period of time and strangled her with duct tape. He also made several people watch the brutal attack by screwing boards over the door and threatening the witnesses with weapons.
Court heard Matchee never sought medical treatment for Lena after the assault.
“This guy only gets 14 years?” said Lena’s mother Sheila. “That is not right.”
“It seems like the system is not working for us; it’s working for the criminals.”
READ MORE: Edmonton man charged with murder in second homicide of 2015
When a judge handed down the sentence on Thursday, they said Matchee’s 14-year sentence is in addition to the 3.4 years he has left on an unrelated seven-year sentence for an aggravated assault conviction. That conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred two days after the attack on Lena. The Crown had asked for an 18- to 20-year sentence, to be served in addition to Matchee’s current sentence.
The Crown also applied to have Matchee serve half his sentence before being able to apply for parole, however, the request was dismissed.
About 25 of Lena’s supporters were at court on Thursday. Family members were seen wearing shirts that read “Justice 4 Lena” and holding up signs in the courtroom that had a big picture of Lena on them.
“Part of the reason we held those pictures up was for him to see what he took away from us,” Lena’s aunt, Rebecca Gordon, said. “No matter how much time he gets, we’ll never have her back ever.”
“We all miss her and we think about it every day,” Sheila said.
Lena’s family intends to attend parole board hearings when Matchee begins to apply.
“We’re going to be there, in full force,” said Sheila’s husband, Gregory Locher. “And we’ll be holding this (picture) up and we’ll be taking what he’s done to her to the judge at the parole hearing. We’ll tell the judge that this man does not deserve to be out.”
Police were called to a rooming house in the area of 112 Avenue and 95A Street on Feb. 9, 2015. Steinhauer’s body was found in one of the five suites. Matchee was arrested six months later and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death.
READ MORE: Central Edmonton death confirmed homicide
Watch below: (From February 2015): Edmonton police investigate the death of 24-year-old Lena Steinhauer.
-With files from Sarah Kraus
Comments