By Brent Bosker

Final inmate sentenced for Daniel Wolfe prison slaying

Oct 19, 2011 | 12:19 PM

The last of six inmates charged with the jail house killing of a high ranking gang member inside the Saskatchewan Penitentiary was sentenced to four years in prison today at Prince Albert Provincial Court.

Tristan Lee Raphael, 29, pleaded guilty to manslaughter for his role in the Jan. 4, 2010 prison slaying that left Daniel Wolfe dead and two other inmates, Cheyenne Nelson and Keith Coutu, seriously injured.

Ten inmates were involved in the brawl that broke out at 12:26 p.m. in a common area of the maximum-security unit at the pen.

According to crown prosecutor John Morrall, the video of the fight showed that Nelson and Coutu were the targets of the attack and were each stabbed over 20 times with six homemade knives recovered after the altercation.

Wolfe got into trouble when he tried to intervene, Morrall said.

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“He was getting in the way of them stabbing these other two people so that’s why they decided to stab him.”

Raphael’s role was getting Wolfe out of the way, Morrall said.

“He was in the background initially then eventually one of the other accused, who were involved, directed him to deal with Daniel Wolfe who was causing them problems — and so he at that point grabbed Wolfe and one of the other individuals here stabbed him twice.”

One of the stab wounds to Wolfe's chest punctured his heart causing his death.

Raphael was originally accused of second degree murder and attempted murder, but a plea bargain was struck which saw the crown drop the attempted murder charge in exchange for a guilty plea to manslaughter.

The other five inmates involved in the melee all received manslaughter sentences between five and 10 years.

Raphael escaped with Wolfe when six men busted out of the Regina Correctional Centre in Aug. 2008.

bbosker@panow.com