‘Some measure of peace and comfort': Crown prosecutor speaks on Misha Pavelick verdict as sentencing looms
CBC
The Crown prosecutor in the trial for the man convicted of killing Misha Pavelick at a campground in 2006 says he is happy with the verdict.
A 12-person jury found a 36-year-old man guilty of second-degree murder last week after 20 hours of deliberations. CBC News cannot identify the man under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, because he was 17 at the time of the murder.
“We're very grateful for the work that the jury did in this case and for the verdict that they rendered,” Adam Breker said Wednesday.
Breker said the nearly 20-year-old case presented a “unique challenge.”
He pointed to the lengthy RCMP investigation and the large number of witnesses present at the Kinookemaw Campground near Regina Beach, about 45 kilometres northwest of Regina, when Pavelick, 19, was fatally stabbed during the May long weekend.
Breker said it took weeks of work to prepare witnesses ahead of their testimony, with each given “the opportunity to review statements that were given sometimes almost 20 years ago, which in some instances they had not heard since.”
Breker called 34 of his 50 potential witnesses during the month-long trial to help piece together what happened on the night in question. The jury was also presented with photos, DNA evidence and an autopsy report.
“At the end of the day, of course, it'll never bring back Misha Pavelick, and he was lost obviously in a very tragic and sort of unthinkable set of circumstances,” Breker said.
“I certainly hope that that will bring at least some measure of peace and comfort to Misha's friends and family.”
Sentencing for the man is expected to begin at Regina’s Court of King’s Bench Thursday afternoon before Justice Catherine Dawson. Andrew Hitchcock is the defence attorney.
Breker said he gave notice of his intention to seek an adult sentence at the outset of the case, and still plans to pursue that.
“We will wait to see the outcome of any reports that are ordered here in the coming time,” he said.
If sentenced as a youth, the man could face a sentence of at most seven years, with a maximum of four in custody. If sentenced as an adult, the man would be sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 10 years.
Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating after an officer involved shooting at Danforth Go station early Saturday morning, said Toronto police.
Montreal officials will hold a ceremony to mark the 36th anniversary of the Polytechnique massacre today.
The City of Regina's proposal to build a roadway through the McKell Wascana Conservation Park should be discarded, local conservationists say.
A holiday event that began in 2020 during the pandemic with three floats on pickup trucks has now become one of Kelowna’s big winter events, drawing thousands to the city’s downtown core.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse.
It’s been hard to keep track of how many legal challenges and active court proceedings the United Conservative government has tried to quash or pre-emptively block in the last six weeks, but let’s try to tally:
Margaret Walker, the emcee of a Waterloo vigil commemorating the victims of the Montreal massacre, doesn't feel enough is being done to reflect on the killings and address gender-based violence.
The P.E.I. Humane Society says it is doing far more fundraising than it used to, and rising expenses — including the cost of animal medications — are a big reason why.
Ottawa is staring down a court-ordered deadline to submit a new plan to reform the on-reserve child welfare system, as a group of First Nations leaders and children’s advocates prepare a competing proposal.
An underpass revitalization project that was meant to pay tribute to the people of Parkdale has instead deteriorated into “a garbage dump,” according to nearby residents.
A young man has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm after a fire at a frat party near Western University that injured five sorority sisters, including two seriously, late Tuesday night.
The massive deal to combine one of Hollywood's oldest studios with a streaming giant hasn't even been approved yet, but it's already riling multiple related industries and politicians concerned about monopolies and media concentration.
Mi'kmaq chiefs and a former Nova Scotia justice minister are criticizing the provincial government for directing police to crack down on illegal cannabis, saying the order undermines relations with Indigenous Peoples.