'I want to try to heal,' says mother of Whitehorse murder victim

Theresa Cormack says she's relieved to know her son's killer will be in jail for many years — but says she still feels "uneasy" around Whitehorse, and struggles to move on.

Theresa's son Adam Cormack was found dead on a dirt road near a gravel pit north of Whitehorse in 2017. He had been fatally shot once, above his right ear. He was 25.

Last week, a Yukon jury found Edward James Penner guilty of first degree murder in Adam Cormack's death. Penner was sentenced to life in prison, with no parole for 25 years.

"We were very happy with the verdict. I believe he got what he deserved," Theresa Cormack said.

"I was very scared that somebody that just took my boy out, and did that to him for no reason, was maybe going to get off with seven or 10 years."

During the two-week trial, the court heard that both Adam Cormack and Penner were involved in the drug trade and that Penner, who is from B.C., came to Whitehorse to investigate a missing handgun.

Theresa Cormack says her son did have "run-ins with the law," but that he was a good person trying to live a good life. She says Adam was badly injured in a car accident four years ago, and that seemed to put him back on the wrong track. She says his skull was fractured.

"The brain trauma is what took him back to the bad part of his life. And I just want people to know that even though Adam dabbled in the drugs, he was a kind soul," she said. "He was a good boy. He was a good man. He'd be 28 this year."

'A prisoner in my own town'

Theresa said losing her son has made life difficult for her. She is behind on her mortgage payments and struggles to pay the bills. Adam was "the man of my house," she said, and his income helped make ends meet. 

Losing her son has also left her with a constant feeling of insecurity and unease. 

"I still do feel like a prisoner in my own town — like, I feel like I can't go to the Canada Games Centre and work out, because drug dealers go to all of those facilities.

"I feel uneasy, but I do want to try to heal. So I am trying my best."

Cormack says she hopes to go back to school next year, and ultimately work in home care. She's worked a variety of jobs over the years, but feels that working with elderly people would offer the kind of fulfilment she needs right now.  

"They need people like me that have a big heart. I'm a kind soul. I have a lot of love to give. But I can't deal with [the] public anymore," she said.