A man who admitted to driving the victim of a fatal beating to what turned out to be the scene of his death was sentenced Tuesday to seven years and 11 months in jail.
Less credit for pre-sentence custody, Kevin Roy Zaporoski, 52, has two years less a day to go in his sentence for the June 2012 drug-related death of Jordan Christian Reno, 22.
The term will be served in a provincial jail and once out, he must also serve two years probation.
In November 2019, co-accused Dustin Allen Lindgren, 32, and Lyle William Baker, 48, were each sentenced to 12 years. Less credit for time served, they had four years 10 months and 15 days left to serve.
All three had pleaded guilty to manslaughter after their respective convictions for first-degree murder in the case of Lindgren and Baker, and second-degree murder in the case of Zaporoski, were overturned on appeal.
According to an agreed statement of facts, a fourth man - Bradley Douglas Barr - enlisted Lindgren and Baker to deal with Reno, who was suspected of stealing drugs and money.
Zaporoski drove Baker to meet with Reno, who went voluntarily back to Baker's 4100-block Knight Crescent home. Once inside, Reno was assaulted for the next several hours while Zaporoski entered and left the home a number of times.
Acting on observations, RCMP launched an investigation and found Reno's body wrapped in plastic and inside a box buried in the back of Baker's property.
An autopsy showed Reno died from forceful blows to his head while cuts consistent with being punched or kicked were found on his face and lips. There was also evidence he may have been restrained prior to his death.
In pleading guilty, Zaporoski admitted he drove Reno to Baker's home knowing Reno would be assaulted and caused bodily harm.
In passing sentence, which came in the form of a joint submission from Crown and defence counsels, B.C. Supreme Court Justice James Williams condemned the acts of the three as "troubling and striking."
Terms of Zaporoski's probation including staying out of Prince George. He was also issued a lifetime firearms prohibition.
Zaporoski had originally been sentenced in September 2017 to life in prison without eligibility to apply for parole for 13 years for parole while in July 2017, Lindgren and Baker were each automatically sentenced to life without eligibility for parole for 25 years.
Barr was sentenced in March 2017 to eight years and nine months in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in relation to the incident.
