Leon Wokeley has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years for the second-degree murder of Pamela Napoleon in 2014.
BC Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Duncan delivered her decision Tuesday morning after two days of hearings in Fort St. John.
"The circumstances of the offence are callous," Duncan said.
"Mr. Wokeley killed Ms. Napoleon over the exchange of petty insults ... He simply got so angry that he took her life. In doing so, he has deprived her sons of a mother, her sisters of a sister, and a community of a valued member."
Napoleon and Wokeley were last seen leaving Blueberry River First Nation on July 8, 2014. Napoleon's remains were found a month later in a burned down cabin near the community. Napoleon was 42.
Wokeley, 44, was arrested in October 2017 after he was the subject of a Mr. Big sting operation, used by undercover police to elicit confessions from suspects.
Second degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison, with a minimum ineligibility for parole of 10 years.
The Crown did not seek more than the minimum, and Wokeley's eligibility for parole starts from the time of his arrest. He was also issued a lifetime firearms and weapons ban, and ordered to provide a DNA sample.
Wokeley pleaded guilty to second-degree murder earlier this year, after he initially pleaded not guilty and elected for a trial by judge.
Two other counts of arson and indignity to human remains were stayed.
Wokeley has prior convictions for assault, mischief, and uttering threats.
Duncan said she took Wokeley's aboriginal background, and his troubled childhood with alcohol, sexual abuse, and violence into the consideration of her sentence.
'Cycle of trauma'
Napoleon is remembered as a loving daughter, sister, and mother who cared deeply about her family and community, and who loved her culture and cooking meals for special occasions.
Three victim impact statements were submitted to the court, two of them read into the record by Napoleon's sister Vanessa, and the other by Robin Ewaskow on behalf of the Blueberry River community.
Vanessa Napoleon told court she misses Pamela and feels lost without her. Pamela's murder left her fearful, and she slept with a weapon by her bed for two years, constantly checking on her family members to make sure she had not lost them too.
"Pam was a kind person who would do anything," Vanessa said.
"She was the kind of person who would give her last money to you if you needed it. I'll never be able to talk to my older sister again, someone to talk to when I need her."
Ewaskow wondered how the Blueberry River community would be able to heal, and said the crime has added to divisions in the community.
"In one instance, a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter was brutally taken. Now, a son, a brother, an uncle, his life forever changed," Ewaskow said.
"Now, we're faced with even more of a cycle of trauma, grief, and addictions. The emotional impacts of this crime has already changed this community."
'He became enraged'
Napoleon and Wokeley had been drinking and consuming drugs together at Napoleon's home in Blueberry River on July 8, 2014, court heard. At some point in the evening, they decided to drive to Wonowon to buy more alcohol before heading to a ranch in Pink Mountain.
After stopping in Wonowon, plans changed and they went instead to a nearby trapper's cabin. Wokelely claimed Napoleon hit him twice in the head with a frying pan after the two had sex and exchanged derogatory comments.
"The blows were not significant, but he became enraged, pinned her arms to the ground, and began to choke her," Duncan said in her ruling.
Wokeley said he thought Napoleon was faking being unconscious when her body stopped moving. When he couldn't hear her breathing or find a heartbeat, Wokeley moved Napoleon's body to a bed frame, doused her with kerosene, and set the cabin on fire before driving away.
Napoleon's remains were identified through dental records. Wokeley was a suspect early in the investigation, and was arrested, though he was later released as there was insufficient evidence to lay charges. The subsequent undercover operation elicited his confession, and more than 100 hours of recordings were compiled.
Members of Napoleon's family had to leave the courtroom in tears several times as Crown prosecutors laid out the timeline and circumstances of the killing for Duncan.
Wokeley sat in court with his eyes cast down for most of the hearing on Monday, though he looked directly at Duncan as she read her ruling on Tuesday.
Given a chance to speak on Monday, Wokeley apologized to Napoleon's family.
"My family's all messed up, her family's messed up. Every day I think about this, and every day I ask the Lord to help me," Wokeley said. "I'm sorry for everything that happened."
Duncan said she was satisfied with the sentence.
"I hope you use your time wisely," Duncan told Wokeley, "and reflect on the harm that you've caused to your community, particularly to the family of Ms. Napoleon."
