Judge Hints at Supporting National Aboriginal Inquiry in B.C. Serial Killer’s Sentence

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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While sentencing one of the youngest serial killer of Canada, British Columbia judge waded into the debate regarding an inquiry into missing and murdered women, alleging that it would be a “mistake” to treat the phenomenon simply as one for police to solve. Although Supreme Court Justice Glen Parrett did not specifically recommended an inquiry, he indicated that something must be done to address the underlying causes that put aboriginal women at risk.

During the hearing in Prince George on Tuesday, Parrett sentenced 24-year-old Cody Legebokoff to life in prison with no parole for 25 years. Legebokoff was convicted last week of four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 35-year-old Jill Stuchenko and Cynthia Maas, 23-year-old Natasha Montgomery and 15-year-old Loren Leslie. Two of Legebokoff’s victims were aboriginal, namely Stuchenko and Maas, while Montgomery struggled with addiction and turned to sex work. In his remarks, Parrett appreciated that the case was unfolding amid growing calls for a national inquiry into missing and murdered women.

In his remarks, Parrett stated that the federal government has repeatedly refused calls for an inquiry, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who alleged that the issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women was a crime problem and not a “sociological phenomenon.” However, Parrett spoke against this notion and stated that “it is a sociological issue — one that arises from, among other things, a high-risk life style,” adding that “it is something that must be dealt with.”