B.C. man who killed 15-year-old girl at Sask. farm gets life sentence for manslaughter
A British Columbia man who killed a teen girl has been sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 10 years.
Eduard Viktorovit Baranec killed 15-year-old Katelyn Marie Noble in August 2007.
He slit her throat in the bushes of a farm in Raddison, Sask., according to an agreed statement of facts.
He was sentenced on Friday afternoon in a joint submission at Saskatoon’s Court of Queen’s Bench.
Baranec was charged with first-degree murder, but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter.
“In order to bring finality and certainty to the family, we decided to accept the lesser included offence of manslaughter,” Crown prosecutor Jennifer Claxton-Viczco said.
Baranec met Noble through her then 35-year-old boyfriend, Greg Friend.
Friend and Baranec ran a marijuana grow-op together in Raddison.
Noble moved to the Raddison grow-op from B.C.
Court heard Baranec thought the grow-op was going “sour” and Baranec believed Noble and Friend were “going against him.”
Baranec killed Noble because she was getting too involved with the grow-op, according to a Dec. 3, 2010 confession Baranec made to undercover police officers.
Baranec also hired two hitmen to kill Friend, but it was unsuccessful, according to the agreed statement of facts.
Baranec was part of a Mr. Big sting — an undercover police tactic where officers pose as criminals to elicit a confession from a suspect.
Baranec told the undercover officers he had his pistol ready to go but decided to use the knife because he didn’t have a silencer.
He demonstrated to undercover police how he did it and admitted that he put his hand over her mouth right before he killed her.
Court heard, the evening of the killing, Baranec moved Noble’s body from the bushes to a pre-dug hole on his farm.
After hearing police were searching his property, Baranec dug up Noble’s body, moved her to a remote location and re-buried her.
Noble was reported missing by her family in B.C. The last time she called her mother was August 16, 2007.
Noble’s mother, Leona Noble, travelled from B.C. to address her daughter’s killer.
“You ruined Katelyn’s life, and you ruined your own life by killing her,” Leona said, while looking at Baranec.
Leona said her daughter got involved with the wrong group of people, but believed she had a bright future.
“I did have a lot of faith in her. I do believe she could have gone a long way in her life, and there was a lot of things she wanted to do in her life,” Leona told reporters outside of court.
Noble’s remains have never been found.
Defence lawyer Brian Pfefferle said Baranec would be willing to show investigators to the body, but Baranec can’t find it.
Leona believes Noble is in the Mayfair, Sask. area and urges farmers to be on the lookout so she can bring her daughter home.
Baranec is currently serving a life sentence for a brutal murder in February 2007. Amanpreet Bahia was found stabbed, in a pool of blood with her one-year-old daughter crying next to her.
Baranec was hired as a hitman, by Bahia’s husband, to carry out the killing.
The Noble investigation helped police crack the Bahia case.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.