The last man to be sentenced in the 2015 murders of two Mac’s convenience store clerks was told on Friday he will serve his two life sentences concurrently.
That means Colton Steinhauer, who found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder back in May, can apply for parole after 25 years in prison.
Steinhauer’s sentence is the same as his co-accused, Laylin Delorme, whose sentence is being appeared by both him and the Crown.
The Crown had asked for Steinhauer to serve his sentences consecutively and not be eligible for parole for 50 years.
Associate Chief Justice Ken Nielsen called the murders gratuitous, senseless, and horrendous — but they did not, he said, warrant a consecutive sentence.
READ MORE: Concurrent life sentences for man convicted in Edmonton Mac’s murders ‘fit and proper’: judge
The two clerks, Karanpal Bhanghu, 35, and Ricky Cenabre, 41, were killed on Dec. 18, 2015 at two different stores.
In an agreed statement of facts, Steinhauer admitted to driving with Laylin Delorme and a 13-year-old boy to a Mac’s store in southeast Edmonton.
READ MORE: Youth guilty of manslaughter in Edmonton Mac’s killings to be released in 2 weeks
The three entered the store near 32 Avenue and 82 Street in Mill Woods wearing masks. Delorme was carrying a gun. Steinhauer had a large bladed weapon and a bag.
The three took money and cigarettes from the store and assaulted Bhanghu. As they were leaving, Delorme fired at Bhanghu, who later died of gunshot wounds.
A short time later, the three travelled seven kilometres to a different Mac’s store in south Edmonton, near 109 Street and 61 Avenue in the Pleasantview area. They robbed and assaulted Cenabre.
Just before leaving the store, Steinhauer shot Cenabre, who died from a gunshot wound to the back.
WATCH: The jury in Laylin Delorme’s first-degree murder trial again watched surveillance video of masked assailants robbing, hitting and shooting a Mac’s store clerk. Fletcher Kent Filed this report in June 2018. GRAPHIC VIDEO WARNING.
Police began conducting what they called a “grid search” of the city, systematically driving up and down streets and looking for all-night convenience stores.
The murder suspects were spotted outside a third Mac’s store in west Edmonton’s Callingwood neighbourhood and fled from police.
Steinhauer, Delorme and the 13-year-old were arrested when their vehicle crashed on Whitemud Drive at the Terwillegar Drive corner a short while later.
READ MORE: Trial hears police found Edmonton murder suspects parked at 3rd Mac’s store
The fatal shootings were brutal, with police calling them executions.
Bhangu had recently emigrated from India and Cenabre had come to Canada five years earlier from the Philippines.
Ricky Cenabre’s nieces were in court Friday and expressed disappointment in the sentence.
“We were all hoping it would be consecutive,” Mary Puerto said outside the Edmonton law courts. “It was obviously planned.”
“It’s beyond words what happened to us. It can never be explained. The trauma, the loss. The grieving process is very long.”
Cenabre’s adult son Cedric has had a hard time dealing with his dad’s death, the nieces said.
“Time heals. We can forget. I don’t know if Cedric can forgive,” Puerto said. Cenabre’s other neice Faith Alcazaren agreed, saying “He will never forgive. Until now, he can’t accept what happened.”
The family came to Canada from the Philippines on tourist visas after the murders, and are now focusing finding a way for Cedric to stay and study or work so that he can have the future his dad wanted for him.
“”I just hope Cedric can apply for a student permit because the permanent residency that was applied before was cancelled already,” Puerto said, explaining that Cenabre had applied for permanent residency for his family but the process died along with him.
“We want to continue what our Uncle Ricky wanted for him — to have a better life.”
The Mac’s stores in question have since been re-branded as Circle K stores, as part of a plan announced by Quebec-based parent company Alimentation Couche-Tard several months before the killings took place.
READ MORE: ‘I don’t want anybody else to go through this’ — Mac’s murder victim’s widow speaks out
— More to come…
— With files from Emily Mertz and Caley Ramsay, Global News
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