By Taylor MacPherson

McKeaveney sentenced to 13 years in death of Monica Burns

Nov 8, 2016 | 1:05 PM

After an emotional day in court, the man responsible for the 2015 death of Monica Burns was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Todd McKeaveney, 40, initially pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, but later plead guilty to the lesser charges of manslaughter and an indignity to human remains.

Based on a joint submission by the Crown and McKeaveney’s defence, Judge Alison Rothery imposed a sentence of 12 years for manslaughter and one year for the indignity, which are to be served concurrently.

With credit for time in custody McKeaveney is expected to serve 10 years and three months.

The court heard McKeaveney first met Burns at a store in January of 2015 and asked her to hang out. She accompanied McKeaveney to his residence where the two shared cocaine, and Burns asked McKeaveney for money.

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When McKeaveney refused, and claimed he was unaware she was a prostitute, Burns threatened him with a needle. The two struggled and McKeaveney, losing control, beat Burns to death with a flashlight. He then wrapped her body in two carpets and left her on a snowmobile trail where she was later discovered by a father and son.

Emotions were running high in the courtroom, where more than 50 members of Burns’ family and supporters gathered to hear the decision. Some wore T-shirts or carried banners calling for “Justice for Monica Burns,” and many wept openly.

Members of Burns’ family read victim impact statements before the sentence was imposed, including Monica’s twin sister Michelle Burns and her older brother Pernell Ballantyne.

“He took a part of me that I’ll never get back,” Ballantyne said, dabbing his eyes with a tissue. “I feel like I failed to protect my sister.”

Michelle Burns asked McKeaveney to look at her while she read her statement. Burns told the court of the emotional trauma her sister’s death caused for Monica’s 10-year-old daughter, who Michelle now raises, and the depression her family has experienced.

McKeaveney took the opportunity to speak prior to sentencing. Wearing grey and green prison sweats and leg irons, he turned in the prisoner’s box to face the gallery.

“I just want to say from my heart that I’m sorry,” McKeaveney said, acknowledging the pain and uncertainty he had caused the family.

After a brief recess, Rothery accepted the joint submission, and called the proposed 13-year prison term “both a fit and a just sentence.”

Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, defense lawyer Brian Pfefferle said the joint submission provided some relief to all parties.

“There are no winners in a case like this,” Pfefferle said, emphasizing that the joint submission was not a plea bargain, but rather a mutual agreement by the defence and Crown.

“There’s no perfect resolution,” he said. “But this is as close to one as I think we can come to.”

Pfefferle said the notoriety of the case can serve to highlight the underlying social issues which helped create the circumstances.

“This is the sort of case where we’re reminded that there’s a lot of blame that families feel for not doing enough for addicted people,” he said. “I think as a society we need to take some responsibility to say there’s a reason why Todd McKeaveney is before the court facing a murder charge, and there’s a reason why Monica Burns is the victim of a homicide.”

A smudge ceremony preceded the hearing, and Chief Wally Burns of James Smith Cree Nation spoke to the crowd about the importance of communal support.

“I know right now it’s very hard for all of us. It shouldn’t be like this,” Burns said. “It’s times like this when we have to support each other.”

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

@TMacPhersonNews