A Kinistin-Saulteaux man who had killed two people before he was 30 is still waiting for his sentence after a Melfort Court of Queen’s Bench hearing on Wednesday.
Jordan Thomas Lumberjack had previously been convicted of second-degree murder by a twelve-person jury.
Two years and two months before Lumberjack’s sentencing hearing, he’d stabbed Lance Severight seven times, which killed him.
In court, the Crown pointed out that Lumberjack had been drinking with his victim on the Kinistin-Saulteaux reserve less than 90 days after his parole release for the Saskatoon stabbing death of Jon Roy.
The September 2013 drunken fight over stolen tobacco ended Severight’s life, and the scars are still heartbreaking for his family.
Their victim impact statements were read on Wednesday morning.
They spoke of Severight as a well-respected man who always lent a hand at community functions. Severight’s uncle Cecil Thomas wrote that Severight had been awarded for his volunteerism the same year he died.
Lance’s brother Ivan wrote that kids on the reserve still ask “when’s Lance coming back?” and he wrote “what do I say to that?”
Lance had been a father and stepfather. His wife Natalie Thomas wrote that Lance had a big heart and loved her children as his own.
The six victim impact statements all expressed fear for community because of Lumberjack’s pattern of drunken violence.
The Crown prosecutor Tyla Olenchuk pointed out that Lumberjack had already committed manslaughter while drunk. She told the court it’s beyond reason why Lumberjack would ever drink again, and even though he’d been through treatment it didn’t stop him from touching alcohol.
The most gut-wrenching statement was read by Lance’s mother Brenda Kaiswatum.
Since losing her son she’s isolated herself, been diagnosed with depression, and told the court she feels a total loss of life’s enjoyment.
Kaiswatum was wracked with sobs, saying “I miss my son so much it hurts. Can one die of a broken heart?”
Lumberjack will serve an automatic life sentence.
Olenchuk is asking for him to be ineligible for parole for 18 years. She leans heavily on is past conviction, comparing her sentencing request to several other cases of multiple killings. She also told the court about Lumberjack’s failure to see the impact of his actions, which she said was evident in his presentence report.
Defense lawyer Michael Nolin is asking for Lumberjack’s parole eligibility to start after he’s served 10 to 12 years. He told court that Lumberjack’s moral culpability is lower than the cases Olenchuk referred to. Nolin said Lance had hit Lumberjack with a bat, they’d both been grossly intoxicated, and that Lumberjack admitted to stabbing Lance the same night he died.
Justice Rothery has reserved her decision until Dec. 18.