Mission double homicide suspect pleads guilty
A Surrey man accused of killing two people in Mission, B.C., in 2008 has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree murder.
Jack Woodruff, 53, pleaded guilty in the shooting deaths of Lisa Dudley, 37, and Guthrie McKay, 33, in New Westminster Supreme Court Monday. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
His lawyer told the court Woodruff "regrets everyday" shooting Dudley and McKay in the incident involving a marijuana grow-operation.
Woodruff told the court he pleaded guilty to show his wife, five children and six grandchildren he takes responsibility for his actions.
He also implicated two others already charged in the murders, Bruce Main and Justin McKinnon. Woodruff was charged in 2011 and has since been held in custody.
Police criticism
The families of the two victims were in court in New Westminster to hear the plea.
The RCMP has come under heavy criticism in this case for not following up on a 911 call of shots being fired.
A neighbour found Dudley bleeding and tied to a chair in her Mission home four days after the first call to police.
An officer had been sent to the home when the shots were initially reported, but he said he didn't see anything unusual and didn't get out of his car to investigate.
Dudley's family complained she might have survived if officers had searched the house.
Family members were further outraged when the officer who failed to check the house was docked a day's pay at an RCMP disciplinary hearing.