NORTH BATTLEFORD — A 12-person jury has returned a guilty verdict in a case involving a death on Thunderchild First Nation.
Ivor Wapass was found guilty of second-degree murder on Saturday in connection to the death of Roger Standingwater, 57, on Sept. 15, 2018 on the reserve.
The case now goes to the sentencing phase and that will happen at Queen's Bench court, Battleford, starting March 2. Victim impact statements will be presented at that time.
Also still to be determined is Wapass's sentence. While second-degree murder carries a life sentence, the judge must still decide on how soon Wapass would be eligible for parole, and that could range from between 10 to 25 years.
The case wrapped up this week with the defence calling witness testimony Tuesday and Wednesday followed by closing arguments Thursday. The jury began deliberating Friday and after a lengthy deliberation returned the guilty verdict Saturday afternoon.
The trial took place at the Don Ross Centre to accommodate social distancing requirements. The case was scheduled to run for three weeks, but was interrupted Jan. 17 when one of the participants fell ill; the trial resumed Feb. 8.
The case was a challenging one for the Crown. They argued that Wapass had killed Standingwater by stomping him on the head. However, the case was entirely based on circumstantial evidence, as there were no eyewitnesses.
Wapass’s defence lawyer Jonathan Bodvarson had argued the Crown case lacked specifics and there was extensive speculation. In the end, the Crown was able to convince the jury of Wapass’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Following the trial, Crown prosecutor Suzanne Reid was satisfied with the jury's verdict.
"I appreciated that they listened diligently and deliberated with great consideration, and in my view, they came to a just verdict," said Reid in comments to reporters.
Wapass was arrested Nov. 1, 2019, by RCMP Major Crime Unit. According to Turtleford RCMP, police had responded to a call of an unresponsive man at a home on Thunderchild First Nation.
When police arrived, they found Standingwater in medical distress. EMS arrived and pronounced Standingwater dead at the scene.