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Murray Wood says people in Foam Lake and communities across Saskatchewan are putting stuffed animals outside to remember...
Taylor Japp has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Briana Hayes, following a six-week jury trial in the Estevan Court of King’s Bench.
The jury returned its verdict late on Tuesday evening, finding Japp guilty on the single count.
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The verdict was delivered after the jury was brought back into court and the foreperson confirmed the guilty verdict. Each juror was then individually asked to confirm the verdict.
Prosecutor David Belanger said the Crown was pleased with the outcome.
“This is the end of a six-week jury trial, and we’re very happy that the jurors saw the evidence the same way we did by rendering a guilty verdict as charged,” Belanger said.
“And yes, we’re happy for the family. We’re happy to bring closure to the family. And we think that justice was rendered in this case.”
The trial, which began in early September, included testimony from numerous witnesses before both sides delivered closing arguments.
Belanger said the Crown spent a full night preparing its closing argument, along with much of the day the judge gave them to prepare.
“This is something that my colleague and I do as a team,” he said. “There are several versions. And yeah, so this is something that we have worked on overnight.”
Next steps
Following the guilty verdict, Justice Michael Morris told the jury that Japp must receive a sentence of life imprisonment for the second-degree murder conviction.
The judge will determine the period of parole ineligibility, which must be between 10 and 25 years. The jury was also given the opportunity to make a recommendation to the judge about the number of years Japp should serve before becoming eligible for parole.
Belanger said arguments over the parole ineligibility period are expected to take place in the coming weeks.
“The justice is going to have to set the parole and eligibility period,” he said. “So we expect that there’s going to be argument down the road about that. It’s not going to be tonight. It’s going to be probably in the following weeks.”
Victim impact statements from Hayes’ family will also be presented at the sentencing hearing.
