A Langley man who pleaded guilty to murdering two people in 2017 during an apparent drug deal gone wrong will learn his fate in March, a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled Friday.
The decision was issued after Travis MacPhail apologized to the families of Brandy Petrie, 34, and Avery Levely-Flesher, 20, during an emotional sentencing hearing where victim impact statements were read.
MacPhail pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in October 2019, for the deaths of Petrie and Levely-Flesher.
The pair were found near 52A Crescent and 64 Avenue suffering gunshot wounds around 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 1, 2017. MacPhail was charged four days later.
Petrie’s mother told the court Friday that her life has been turned upside down since the killing, and that she and her husband have taken guardianship of Petrie’s daughters.
Through tears, she told the court she didn’t blame MacPhail’s parents, adding they “lost their son that tragic night too.”
Petrie’s parents, who came from Ottawa for the sentencing, and other family members wore buttons with Petrie’s photo on them.
Defence read letters from MacPhail’s friends to the court, describing him as a caring and reliable friend.
MacPhail himself read a statement in which he took full responsibility for his actions, saying he felt remorse for what he did. He explained he started using drugs at 11 years old, which led to his poor choices.
“I can’t imagine how terrible this was,” he said, turning to the victims’ families sitting behind him in the courtroom. He went on to say he will spend the rest of his life bettering himself and helping others.
“I’m honestly sorry,” he told the families through tears.
Drug deal gone wrong
The court also heard Friday how the double slaying stemmed from a drug deal gone wrong.
According to Crown, MacPhail and a female friend had been on drugs for five days when they phoned a dial-a-dope line on Sept. 1.
The pair then drove to meet Petrie and Levely-Flesher to pick up the drugs, where they tried to pay with pre-paid credit cards.
Crown says when Petrie and Levely-Flesher refused to accept the cards as payment, MacPhail’s female passenger handed him a sawed-off shotgun, which he used to shoot the pair before driving off.
Prosecutors said MacPhail’s passenger then realized they’d forgotten the drugs at the scene of the shooting, and threatened to kill herself if he didn’t go back.
MacPhail turned around, and the pair were pulled over shortly afterward.
Prosecutors and defence have put forward a joint submission for a minimum of 17 years behind bars before MacPhail is eligible for parole.
The judge will issue her sentencing decision on March 27.
— With files from Erin Ubels