Justin Bishop of Clairmont has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter for his role in the killing of Kyler Commandeur. Bishop was originally charged with first-degree murder and is one of five people charged in connection with the death of the 19-year-old Clairmont man.
It was an emotionally charged courtroom in Grande Prairie Thursday, as 16 emotional impact statements were read by and on behalf of Commandeur’s family and friends. They were wearing sweaters bearing his name on the back, in both green and grey colours.
“Kyler was a kind, thoughtful young man and always walked around with a smile,” said Danielle Commandeur. “He is missed dearly by so many. We will never be able to see him get married, have a career, or have children. That’s a pain that will never go away.”
According to the Crown, Commandeur was with then 28-year-old Bishop and another man before he was shot on June 11, 2020. The accused then fled the scene in a vehicle, and the victim was found dead on the side of the road near Woking.
Bishop is banned from using restricted firearms for life and cannot use unrestricted firearms for ten years. He is slated to serve another 33.5 months in prison after being held in custody since his arrest in September 2020.
It took a little more than three months for the RCMP to arrest Bishop, as well as then-34-year-old Krista Marie Healey of Grande Prairie, who is charged with accessory to murder after the fact, and then-36-year-old Melissa Aletha Healey of Beaverlodge, who is charged with forcible confinement. They were taken into custody on September 24th and 25th, 2020 respectively.
A few weeks later, then-25-year-old Cody Letourneau of Grande Prairie turned himself in and was charged with first-degree murder on October 16, 2020, followed by then-30-year-old Simon De Lima of Grande Prairie, who was arrested in Saskatchewan on November 13, 2020, and also charged with first degree murder.