WARNING: This story contains graphic details that may be triggering to some readers.
A man has been sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility in 14 years for his role in the murder of an innocent couple at a rural residence outside Cranbrook in 2010.
Colin Correia earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Leanne MacFarlane and Jeffrey Taylor, in what was intended to be a targeted hit against a rival gang member who used to live in the same residence just of the highway east of Cranbrook.
Factoring in various periods of time served in pre-trial custody since his arrest in 2018, Correia will be eligible to apply for parole by late 2034.
Justice Michael Tammen delivered the ruling in Vancouver Supreme Court, which essentially followed a joint submission from Crown and defence counsel that included a joint statement of facts and sentence recommendation.
"Obviously no sentence imposed by this court can bring back their loved ones ore even begin to salve the wounds the family of the victims continue to suffer," said Justice Tammen. "However, to the family of victims and those who were themselves directly victimized by these crimes, I say this: the crime of murder carries with it a mandatory life sentence.
"That is the most onerous sentence known to Canadian law. By nature and definition, it is a sentence which carries the greatest denunciatory and retributive impact of any legally permissible penalty."
A day before the sentencing, Crown and defence counsel provided a joint submission on an agreed statement of facts, victim impact statements and sentencing principles in front of Justice Tammen on Feb. 6.
In 2010, MacFarlane and Taylor were engaged and had just moved to Cranbrook from Salmon Arm, as they were in the process of opening up a cellphone store with a life of promise and opportunity ahead of them.
According to the agreed statement of facts, the murders were a tragic case of mistaken identity. Both MacFarlane and Taylor were shot inside their home, after two masked individuals kicked down the door on the morning of May 29, 2010.
MacFarlane died at the scene, while Taylor succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to the East Kootenay Regional Hospital in Cranbrook.
Doug Mahon, a rival gang member, was the intended target of the hit and a previous resident of the same home. Mahon was arrested at that same location by police following a shooting at the Sam Steele Hotel in Cranbrook seven months before the shooting.
In 2013, Correia and Lorne Carry were convicted of conspiracy to commit murder against Mahon, allegedly in retaliation for the shooting. A third man, Lonnie Adams, was acquitted of the conspiracy charge, however, all three were also convicted of counselling to commit murder as part of the same trial proceedings.
During the sentencing hearing, family members spoke about the devastating impacts the deaths of their loved ones had on their lives.
In a statement read out in court, MacFarlane's sister-in-law, who was living in the adjoining duplex with her son, wrote about confronting one of the gunmen. She ran and hid in a bedroom, after the gunman pointed a pistol at her head and asked "where the fuck is Doug?" The gunman was not Correia.
"When that person came in, I closed my eyes and thought I was going to die. What an awful feeling. He walked away and now I was praying he wouldn't go in my son's bedroom."
Wendy Holland, MacFarlane's sister, said she has been living with emotions of loss, fear, stress, anxiety and "the most ultimate pain" since that day.
"My sweet sister was gone. I'll never see her again. I won't be able to hear her beautiful laugh or see her beautiful smile. She was such a gem. I loved her kindness, her beautiful way of reasoning, her love for animals, her humour and her way of always forgiving.
"I consider myself lucky to still be able to see her smile and hear her wonderful laugh. To have known her is to have loved her. I miss her every single day and struggle very hard with that as you took that away from me."
Randi Hill, MacFarlane's daughter, described the horrific aftermath of the shooting.
"I had to clean my own mother鈥檚 blood off the floor from where you left her to die,鈥� Hill said.
During submissions from defence counsel, the court heard how Correia had since left his criminal lifestyle shortly after being convicted of the conspiracy to commit murder charge.
He showed positive behaviour changes while incarcerated, eventually completed his high school diploma and reconnected with his family.
Various family members, employers and friends wrote letters attesting to Correia's rehabilitation, according to defence counsel.
Correia himself addressed the court, apologizing for the "shattering heartbreak" caused by his actions.
鈥淣ot a day goes by where I don鈥檛 think about my actions and the pain I have caused," Correia said. "Please let this guilty plea help to show that I want to move on and give some closure to all of your suffering.鈥�
Eight years after the murders, Correia was arrested in Edmonton while on parole as part of serving a 12-year sentence that followed the conspiracy conviction.
Over two days, he allegedly gave a "highly inculpatory" account of the events on May 29, 2010 to police interviewers, while also asking for immunity and Crown protection.
Those statements were a key piece of evidence that were ruled inadmissible during the B.C. Supreme Court trial that began in 2020, as the trial judge concluded they were made through "police trickery."
The crux of that conclusion involved police inviting Correia to talk about the conspiracy offence as opposed to the murders, since he had already been charged and convicted of the conspiracy offence and couldn't be prosecuted for that same offence.
Following the trial, Correia and co-accused Sheldon Hunter were both acquitted.
However, those statements to police were a key element of the Crown's successful appeal of Correia's acquittal to the Court of Appeal. The Crown did not pursue an appeal of Hunter's acquittal.
The appeal court overturned Correia's acquittal on Oct. 24, 2024, and ordered a new trial. Shortly afterward, Correia was arrested and talks between lawyers began, culminating in the second-degree murder guilty plea.
