Decade after son disappeared, Calgary father addresses son's killer in Indigenous courtroom

A decade after Jimmy Crowshoe invited reporters and cameras into his backyard, begging for the public's help in finding his missing son, he stood in the middle of Calgary's Indigenous courtroom and smudged, preparing to address his son's killer at a sentencing hearing Friday. 

Colton Crowshoe was 18 years old when he was reported missing by Jimmy on July 6, 2014. That was two days after he was last seen leaving a party with a friend who would later be charged with his murder. 

"My baby," said Jimmy of Colton. "It's hard. I cry every day."

Three weeks after the 2014 party, Colton's body was found in a storm pond in the city's northeast and police declared the case a homicide.

But it took eight years before charges were laid against Wiley Su Provost — a close friend of Colton's at the time of his death. 

• Colton Crowshoe's family speaks out against police investigation

Provost, who was 19 years old in 2014, left the party with Colton but told police he and his friend separated after leaving. Provost said he passed out not knowing what happened to the victim.

Eight years later, Provost's stepmother was pulled over in a traffic stop. She told police that Wiley had told her that he killed Colton, according to an agreed statement of facts. 

Colton strangled

Police then interviewed Provost's stepbrother.

Steven Vielle told investigators Provost had threatened to kill him "like Colton."

• Family of Colton Crowshoe says arrest in his homicide brought 'so much relief'

Initially, Provost was charged with second-degree murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter last September. 

As part of his plea, Provost admitted that after leaving the party, he and Colton stopped to sit in the grass near the storm pond, taking off their shirts to sit on them in the wet grass.

At some point, the two got into an argument. When Colton ran from Provost, he was chased.

Provost caught up to Colton and used his friend's shirt to strangle him. 

Dad fed son's killer

After Colton went limp, Provost placed his victim's body in the pond. 

In the days after the killing, Provost spent time with Colton's family, including with the victim's aunt and father. 

During the sentencing hearing Friday, Jimmy Crowshoe spoke directly to his son's killer, remembering a time in the days after Colton's death that Provost had come to him for help. 

"I told you, 'I'll get you something to eat, I'll get you some change,' so I did," said Jimmy. 

Prosecutor Doug Taylor asked Justice George Gaschler to consider an eight- to 10-year prison term. 

"If you're looking for a super sad, tragic case for everybody involved, this is it," said Taylor. 

'Jail is not the answer for healing'

Friday's hearing took place in the Calgary Indigenous Court, which focuses on a restorative justice approach to crime through peacemaking and connecting accused people to their cultures and communities.

The courtroom space is modelled after a teepee and features a half-moon table, which the judge, lawyers, accused and victim's family sit around. 

At different points in this hearing, two smudging ceremonies took place in the middle of the room.

Defence lawyer Gloria Froese spoke in court about the over-representation of Indigenous people in the prison system and asked the judge to consider a sentence in the three- to four-year range.

Besides some minor breaches, Froese pointed out that Provost does not have a criminal record for any substantial offences. 

"We are capable of doing something different here," said Froese. 

"We know that jail does not work for Indigenous people, we know that jail is not the answer for healing and for moving forward and for rehabilitation." 

Gaschler will hand down his decision next month.