Edward James Penner gets life sentence for 2017 murder in Yukon

Edward James Penner of B.C. has been sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 25 years, after being found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Adam Cormack, 25, in Whitehorse two years ago.

A 12-person jury delivered the verdict in Yukon Supreme Court on Thursday afternoon, after a day of deliberations. Justice Scott Brooker delivered the sentence.

Penner was charged in July 2017, a few days after Cormack's body was found on a dirt road near a gravel pit north of Whitehorse. Cormack had been fatally shot once, above his right ear.

The Crown spent more than two weeks laying out its case. Prosecutor Tom Lemon summarized that case Tuesday, urging jurors that the evidence "points in only one direction" — that Penner planned to kill Cormack "execution style" and shot Cormack in the head with an AR-15 rifle.

Lemon said Penner and Cormack were both involved in the drug trade, and that Penner came to Whitehorse to investigate a missing handgun.

There were cheers and sobs in the courtroom on Thursday as the jury foreman delivered the verdict.

Cormack's mother, Theresa Cormack, then delivered a victim impact statement on behalf of the family. 

She thanked the jury, and then addressed Penner directly.

"I f--king hate you," she told her son's killer. "I hope you rot in hell.... Karma is a bitch, and she's coming for you." 

Cormack described her own difficulties since her son's death, saying she's been on medication and seeing a psychiatrist. She says she hasn't worked for two years, and has to look around when she leaves the house to go to the store.

She said her whole family has been affected, and asks Penner if he knows what it feels like.

"Every day is a struggle and not getting easier," she said.

Cormack's sister Catherine also addressed Penner, and called him a "sick, sick individual" with no conscience. She said her brother always "had my back."

"You, Penner, took that away from me," she said.

Some 'damning' evidence, lawyer says

Penner declined any comment before the court.

Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom after the sentence was delivered, defence lawyer André Ouellette said the trial unfolded quicker than he expected.

"There was substantial evidence, some of it was damning, some of it, in my view at least, was very ambiguous. But the jury heard it and they made [up] their minds," he said.

Ouellette would not speculate whether the verdict might be appealed.

"It's up to Mr. Penner of course, to decide."

Penner has 30 days to launch an appeal.