Joshua Petrin has been found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the 2012 shooting death of 34-year-old Lorry Ann Santos.
A Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench judge read the verdict Thursday morning and sentenced Petrin to life in prison without the eligibility of parole for 25 years for the first-degree murder charge and 12 years, to be served concurrently, for conspiracy to commit murder.
Santos was shot and killed inside her home in the Westview neighbourhood of Saskatoon on Sept. 12, 2012.
Police say she was killed by members of an Alberta gang who targeted the wrong house.
During closing arguments last month, the Crown repeated that theme, saying that Santos was the victim of a gang hit gone wrong, and the two people who committed the act were under Petrin’s orders.
Prosecutors argued the intended target was a former member of the White Boy Posse who betrayed Petrin by leaving the gang. The killers ended up at the wrong house — and killing Santos — through a series of miscommunications.
After the verdict, court heard victim impact statements. In a written statement, Santos’s husband said his best friend and his future was stolen from him.
Santos’s youngest son was only five-months-old when she was killed. The family says he asks “Why is [my mom] in heaven?”
A first-degree murder verdict carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years. The Crown requested a 15-year sentence for the conspiracy charge, while Petrin’s defence lawyer Brian Pfefferle argued for a six- to eight-year sentence for the conspiracy charge.
Pfefferle said he was surprised by the verdict. Petrin intends to appeal both convictions and maintains his innocence, according to his lawyer.
There was heavy police presence at the court for the verdict, likely due to Petrin's gang connections.
