Verdict coming Friday in case of dead six-month-old baby

UPDATE: The decision was expected the morning of Dec. 21, but was held over due to quarantine at the remand centre. The verdict is now expected on Jan. 4.
WARNING: The details in this story are graphic and may be disturbing.

On Friday morning a man accused of killing his six-month-old son will learn his fate.

Jarock Humeniuk’s father, Christopher Lamarche, stands accused of second-degree murder in the baby’s death.

Court heard the closing arguments in the case that dates all the way back to 2017 and relies on a confession obtained in an undercover police operation.

The crown alleges the 27-year-old strangled, bent and shook his son while watching him in May 2017.

Autopsy results found the baby boy had bruising around his neck, broken ribs and a broken collarbone.

READ MORE: Edmonton man charged in 2017 death of his six-month-old baby boy

But for more than two years — no charges were laid — until police launched an undercover Mr. Big operation.

Court heard Lamarche admitted to the undercover officers that he had choked, bent and shook baby Jarock — at one point even re-enacting what happened.

READ MORE: Edmonton police homicide unit has ‘formally taken over’ infant death investigation

Lamarche was arrested in July 2019 and in a subsequent interview with police, he said “It wasn’t something about jealousy, it wasn’t anything like that. It’s just I didn’t see a very bright future for my own son.”

But the defence calls the confessions murky and halting, saying Lamarche’s story kept changing — and that this motive doesn’t make sense.

His lawyer added there were five other adults in the house the night Jarock died, and no one reported hearing a baby crying.

Justice Sterling Sanderman is expected to present his verdict Friday morning.