'We deserve to know why,' say friends of Lisa Strang after killer sentenced

A Regina man is on his way to prison for life, with no chance of parole for at least 17 years. 

John Strang was sentenced Wednesday morning, after pleading guilty earlier this month to the second-degree murder of his wife, Lisa Strang.

He admitted to shooting his wife twice at their home in the village of McLean, Sask., about 40 kilometres east of Regina, on Aug. 1, 2015.

"Death came quickly and unexpectedly to Lisa Strang," said Justice Ellen Gunn in her decision. "She was shot from behind by her chosen life partner."

Both the defence and the prosecution have said that life in prison without the possibility of parole for 17 years is a fitting sentence in this case, noting the 50-year-old John will be over the age of retirement before he can apply to get out.

More than two years after the murder, John maintains he still does not know why he did it, something that continues to torment Lisa's friends and family.

Looking for answers

Patrick Bundrock, executive director of the Sask. Party, was a longtime friend and colleague of Lisa's.

He stood outside court surrounded by other friends and co-workers Wednesday, to speak directly to Lisa's killer.

"You took the life of the person who loved you the most, who was just a wonderful individual, a good friend to all of us here," Bundrock said. 

"As you begin your life sentence, you need to reflect on the actions and the things that you did and the one thing we have never, ever heard is why? And we deserve to know why."

For Lisa's parents, the loss of their only daughter had begun decades before she died. They said John was controlling and would not let Lisa visit with them alone.

Accepting responsibility

John's lawyer, Brian J. Smith, noted that although his client cannot say why he shot his wife, he has "not once denied his responsibility" for her death.

"John fully and completely accepts that he is a murderer, and that he alone is responsible for Lisa's death," Smith said.

However, Smith said his client will also suffer uniquely as a result.

"No one will suffer from Lisa's death in the same way that John will," Smith said, noting that John said after admitting he had killed his wife that she was "the only one who ever gave a good God damn about me."

He said his client has had a lifetime of health problems, including Klinefelter syndrome — a genetic disorder affecting men.

Testosterone treatment for that disorder, which was only diagnosed after he was married, caused "fairly negative side effects," including mood swings and depression, according to Smith.

The lawyer said a few months before the murder, John had considered suicide a number of times and had even loaded the revolver he ultimately used in the murder of his wife in contemplating taking his own life.

'If he were ever released I would be forced to leave my home'

After shooting Lisa around midday on Aug. 1, 2015, John went on the run in his Jeep loaded with guns and ammunition, as well as handcuffs, duct tape and camping gear.

That evening, he arrived at the home of a couple he had met through a mutual friend.

With her husband away for the evening, John told Lynn Larsen he had considered raping her and "killing a lot of people". He said while he had planned to start by killing her, he had since changed his mind.

In a victim impact statement, Larsen said the couple now locks their doors and feels less trusting of strangers who drive in the yard.

She said her only comfort is that John remains behind bars.

"If he were ever released I would be forced to leave my home, as I would want to be somewhere where he could not find me," Larsen said.

Smith said his client does not bear any ill will toward Larsen and did not intend to rape or kill her that night, but said he does accept her version of what transpired.

John was arrested without incident about 24 hours after leaving the Larsen ranch, having contacted Smith to turn himself in.

Guns a point of contention

Smith said John was introduced to guns by his father, who was a big-game hunter, and as an adult went on to collect firearms and practise long-distance target shooting.

It is that collection of guns, knives and other weapons and ammunition that is the one area of contention between Smith and the Crown prosecutor.

"To most of us it's alarming that a person would have that much ammunition and that many weapons in the vehicle," Smith told the court.

However, he said, for "an avid shooter" such as John heading out for a trip to the woods, "a few thousand rounds of ammunition between a number of different guns is not unusual."

The prosecution regards the entire arsenal of guns, knives and handcuffs found in the Jeep as "offence-related property," which should be forfeited to the Crown.

"The concern of the Crown is, obviously, that these weapons were with Mr. Strang — they were loaded, they were in the vehicle and they were in the vehicle before he killed his wife," prosecutor Kelly Kaip told the judge earlier this month.

"Given what he told Lynn Larsen about killing her and 'a lot of people' we would suggest that those items in the Jeep take on a nefarious tone," she said.

The defence said Strang would like his guns to go to his father and a friend, while the Crown would like them all forfeited.

The judge ruled that, other than the murder weapon, the guns found in the Jeep were not used in the commission of a crime and therefore could not be seized.

But Strang's lawyer said that does not mean his client will be getting them back.

"The guns are not being returned to him, they're going to be returned to a third party," Smith told reporters.

"At this point they just represent an investment of money that will assist him in going forward," he said. 

The judge has prohibited Strang from ever owning a firearm again. 

He was also ordered to provide a DNA sample and not to contact the families of his victims.

On mobile? Click here to see Stefani Langenegger's tweets from the sentencing.