A man who’s serving life for a grisly Prince Albert murder is pursuing his last chance at an acquittal.
In late 2013, John Thomas Shaoulle was convicted in the first-degree murder of Margaret Sewap, who was 33 at the time of her death.
However, in October Saskatchewan Court of Appeals Justice J.A. Klebuc wrote that he – unlike the two other judges who rejected Shaoulle’s appeal – would have acquitted him based on the trial evidence.
This gave leave for Shaoulle to file for an appeal at the Supreme Court – which is Canada’s highest court.
His lawyer, Brian Pfefferle, confirms he has filed an appeal.
The last time Sewap had been seen alive was with Shaoulle in April of 2011.
Her body was found dumped behind a business in Prince Albert – naked, burned, and with signs of a violent sexual assault before she died.
The case made at Shaoulle’s trial rested on evidence from an undercover cop, DNA evidence, video surveillance, and his common-law partner.
The appeal argues those factors don’t put Shaoulle at the scene of the crime.
Pfefferle says the grounds for his appeal are that the trial judge made an unreasonable guilty verdict with the use of circumstantial evidence.
Pfefferle says the hearing will likely be in late 2016.
Shaoulle received a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.
For more details on Justice J.A. Klebuc’s reasons behind why he would have acquitted Shaoulle, click here.
Click here to see the full provincial Court of Appeal document.