The appeals of all three men convicted in the 2015 murder of Reno Lee have been dismissed, in a decision released on Tuesday.
Daniel Theodore, Andrew Bellegard and Bronson Gordon were convicted of first-degree murder in 2018, after Lee’s dismembered remains were found buried on the Star Blanket Cree Nation, northeast of Regina.
A two-day hearing at the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal took place in September via videoconference due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Their attorneys argued questions were not raised on potential racial bias of the jurors, making for an unfair trial.
They also argued the instructions for the jury were confusing.
However, the three judge panel rebuked the defence’s arguments in a written decision, upholding their life sentences.