No parole for 30 years for Alberta man convicted in Edson triple murder

Editor’s note: This story originally said Bailey was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences. The article has been updated to reflect the correct sentence. 

WARNING: The details in this story may be graphic to some readers.

An Alberta man will spend at least 30 years in prison before he can apply for parole after he shot and killed three people near Edson in 2015.

Mickell Clayton Bailey, 21, was handed his sentence on Thursday for the shooting deaths of 36-year-old Roxanne Berube, 46-year-old Daniel Miller and Berube’s daughter, 16-year-old Jazmine Lyon.

Two of his sentences will be served concurrently over the course of 15 years, followed by another 15-year sentence.

Crown prosecutor Orest Yereniuk called the sentence fair and said it was a good day for justice in Alberta.

“It was very well reasoned, very succinct,” he said. “I was quite pleased at the outcome.”

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Bailey was found guilty of three counts of second-degree murder in late April.

The judge said the evidence was overwhelming that Bailey shot the trio at a rural home near Edson in November 2015.

While Bailey was originally charged with three counts of first-degree murder, the judge found there wasn’t enough evidence that he went to the home with the intention to kill.

Lyon was shot in the face and both Berube and Miller had been shot in the neck. Bailey’s DNA had been found in three locations in the home.

Yereniuk said it’s not unprecedented to see consecutive life sentences handed down for second-degree murder convictions. However, he did point out there have been five triple murders in Alberta since 2012 and said the courts have to do what they can to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

“It’s unparalleled in my four decades of being a prosecutor,” he said. “These cases still are rare and we hope that they remain rare in Alberta. We’ve had too many triple homicides in this province since 2012… and we have to denounce that kind of conduct.”

Bailey has 30 days to appeal his sentence and his convictions. Defence counsel Nate Whitling said it’s not yet known if Bailey will exercise his right to appeal.

With files from Albert Delitala, Kendra Slugoski, Global News.