deadmonton 2005 - shane rolston
Shane Rolston, 17, was beaten to death on November 19th, 2005.
Justin Tate Bridges, Jonathan Patrick Giourmetakis, Christopher Thomas Griffiths and Josiah James Lawson, all 18, and a young offender were charged with first-degree murder. The young offender faced two additional charges of assault with a weapon.
Ongoing developments | latest update.
At about the same time that Edmonton recorded its 33rd murder of the year, that of Cameron Campbell, all hell broke loose at a house party attended by over 100 people in nearby Sherwood Park.
Strathcona County RCMP responded to a disturbance call at a house at 749 Forrest Drive around 1:30 a.m.
Several dozen people were spotted outside the house but they dispersed after cruisers arrived. An uninvited group from Edmonton had just been evicted from the party after a fight had broken out earlier.
About an hour later, that same group returned to the Sherwood Park house with a variety of weapons including bear spray, baseball bats, hockey sticks and pipes. They claimed they had come back to recover a cellphone that was left behind.
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Windows were smashed and several houseguests were attacked. Seventeen-year-old Shane Rolston, the party's designated driver, was struck on the head and went into convulsions on the floor of the foyer.
The group then fled. Rolston was quickly transported to hospital but died twelve hours later from blunt force trauma.
At the time, police didn't confirm media reports that the murder weapon used was a baseball bat.
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| Bridges | Giourmetakis | Griffiths | Lawson |
RCMP charged five Edmonton-area 18-year-olds with first-degree murder: Justin Tate Bridges, Jonathan Patrick Giourmetakis, Christopher Thomas Griffiths and Josiah James Lawson.
The fifth person charged was seventeen when the murder occured (he turned 18 the day he was arrested). He faced two additional charges of assault with a weapon.
The juvenile was to be tried under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, which also prevented him from being named. It was expected that he would face adult sentencing.
First-degree murder charges are distinguished by the element of pre-meditation.
All five accused were former students of W.P. Wagner High School in Edmonton.
Sherwood Park recorded its only other murder of 2005, that of Christopher Koppang, on September 1st.
Ongoing Developments
- December 22nd, 2005 - Bail granted.
- January 11th, 2006 - Preliminary hearing postponed.
- February 28th, 2006 - Scholarship fund established.
- October 23rd, 2006 - Lesser pleas entered.
- November 9th, 2006 - Judge announces sentences.
- November 19th, 2006 - Rolston family launches petition.
- November 19th, 2006 - First anniversary vigil.
- December 6th, 2006 - Fifth teen pleads guilty.
- December 15th, 2006 - Sentences not appealed.
- December 29th, 2006 - Plan for a safe party, father says.
- February 26th, 2007 - Sentencing hearing for last teen underway.
- February 27th, 2007 - Last teen sentenced.
- March 10th, 2007 - Hundreds gather calling for change to the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
- May 5th, 2007 - Citizens' rights group forms.
On December 22nd, 2005 four teenagers, handcuffed and wearing leg shackles, appeared in an Edmonton court and were granted bail.
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Cash bail, ranging from $7,500 to $15,000, was imposed and came with a long list of restrictions.
All the teens were banned from going to Sherwood Park and were not to have contact with each other, any of the witnesses in the case or any member of the Rolston family.
The teens were not to have access to cellphones, were to live at home with their parents, obey a daily 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and were not to use alcohol. All five were to report weekly to a bail supervisor.
Griffiths was to post $15,000 bail and was ordered to turn himself in to custody three days before any preliminary hearing or trial.
Lawson was to post $12,500 bail and was ordered to turn himself in two days before any preliminary hearing or trial.
Giourmetakis and Bridges were to post $7,500 bail and were ordered to turn themselves in one day before any preliminary hearing or trial.
An 18-year-old, who was 17 at the time of the murder, was to post $10,000 bail and was ordered to turn himself in two days before any preliminary hearing or trial. He cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
On January 11th, 2006 the setting of a date for a preliminary hearing for the five teenagers was postponed until February 8th.
The required forwarding of documents related to the investigation from the Crown to the defence did not take place, forcing a delay in the hearing.
On February 28th, 2006 it was announced that the school Rolston attended set up a scholarship fund in his honour.
Sherwood Park's Bev Facey Community High School established the Shane Rolston Memorial Scholarship. It will be awarded annually to a welding student who demonstrates outstanding progress and displays exemplary attitude, effort, responsibility, work habits and leadership in class.
Rolston was considering a career in welding when he died. To make a donation, contact the school at 780-467-0044.
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On October 23rd, 2006 four of the five teens charged with first-degree murder appeared in an Edmonton courtroom for what was to be the first day of a two-week preliminary hearing.
However, a surprise admission from the Crown saw the four youths enter guilty pleas to lesser charges.
Crown prosecutor Greg Marchant opened the day's proceedings by stating a conviction on charges of first-degree murder was highly unlikely.
That opened the door for one of the four accused to plead to the lesser charge of manslaughter, with the others pleading guilty only to charges of assault with a weapon.
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| Griffiths | Bridges | Giourmetakis | Lawson |
Christopher Thomas Griffiths pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter.
The Crown recommended Griffiths, now 19, serve from five to eight years in prison.
Justin Tate Bridges, Jonathan Patrick Giourmetakis and Josiah James Lawson each pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon.
The Crown asked provincial court Judge John Maher they serve 2 1/2 to four years in prison.
Marchant stated even though there was no evidence Bridges, Giourmetakis and Lawson struck anyone or even entered the Sherwood Park home, the three have admitted to being parties to the offence with their guilty pleas.
Defence lawyer Larry Fleming asked for three to four years for Griffiths.
Defence lawyer Peter Royal asked for a maximum 18-month conditional sentence for Bridges, as did lawyers for Giourmetakis and Lawson.
Defence lawyer Alex Pringle, representing Giourmetakis, said his client was simply a follower that night.
"He is adamant he did not hit anybody. He retreated."
Giourmetakis told police "We messed up" during a tear-filled interview after his arrest.
The maximum sentence for manslaughter is life, and for assault with a weapon, 10 years.
A fifth accused, who was 17 and charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, earlier pleaded not guilty and was set to go to trial on October 30th, 2006 in a Sherwood Park court.
More than 100 people filled the courtroom, many of them friends of Shane Rolston, wearing white hoodies with the words "Love you always Shane" and "The good die young" printed front and back.
An agreed statement of facts was read out in court that outlined what happened in the early morning of November 19th, 2005.
Griffiths, Bridges, Lawson and the 17-year-old youth received a second-hand invitation to a Sherwood Park house party hosted by David Wells. David's parents were on vacation in Mexico. About 200 teens showed up.
Griffiths and Lawson shared a 26-ounce bottle of rye whisky. Bridges, the group's driver, did not drink.
At about 1:00 a.m. a scuffle broke out. A window was broken and a teen named Jeff Brown was punched. Some at the party blamed Griffiths and his friends. The teens left the party and returned to Edmonton.
Griffiths, Bridges, Lawson and the young offender soon prepared for a return visit to Sherwood Park with the intent of retrieving Griffiths' misplaced cellphone.
They collected an aluminum bat, a metal pipe, a pool cue, a hockey stick and some pepper spray. After picking up Giourmetakis they also picked up a stolen license plate which they attached to a different vehicle.
One of the group called the cellphone. David Wells answered and agreed to give the phone back.
Shane and Steven Holstein were getting ready to leave the party when Bridges rang the doorbell. Wells gave Bridges the cellphone.
Griffiths, carrying the aluminum bat, stepped out from behind Bridges. A can of pepper spray was fired.
Lawson and Giourmetakis also had weapons in their hands.
Holstein saw Griffiths swing the bat at him. He was then hit repeatedly as he lay on the floor but did not see who was striking him.
Holstein saw Shane get hit in the head and fly against the wall. He did not see who struck the blow.
Craig MacGregor, who was also standing in the doorway of the home, was hit once in the back and kicked in the face. He could not identify who attacked him.
Shane Rolston laid dying of blunt cranial trauma and the Edmonton teens left.
Crown prosecutor Greg Marchant argued there might have been reasonable doubt in that the weapons brought back to the party could have been carried in self-defense, making a first-degree murder conviction nearly impossible.
Marchant also stated no one saw Griffiths strike Shane, and no fingerprints or DNA were found on the weapons.
Judge John Maher heard more arguments from defence lawyers on October 24th.
As the two-day session concluded, Shane's stepfather Guy Lefebvre led a "Justice for Shane" chant as family and friends left the courtroom.
Maher admitted in court it wouldn't be easy passing a sentence on the teens and stated, "You're never going to satisfy everybody."
Victim impact statements | October 23rd plea reaction | October 24th sentencing argument reaction | back to ongoing developments menu
On November 9th, 2006 Provincial court Judge John Maher announced his sentencing decisions.
Christopher Thomas Griffiths, who pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter, was handed a four-year sentence in addition to the one month he served in pre-trial custody.
Griffiths would be required to serve the time in a federal institution. His parole eligibilty, available after serving one-third of a sentence, would come up in 16 months.
The Crown had recommended Griffiths serve from five to eight years.
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| Bridges | Giourmetakis | Lawson |
Maher gave conditional sentences to Justin Tate Bridges, Jonathan Patrick Giourmetakis and Josiah James Lawson to be served in the community.
The three, who each pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon, received sentences of two years less a day – one year of house arrest followed by one year of curfew and then six months of probation.
The three must also perform 240 hours of community service.
The Crown had sought prison terms of two-and-a-half to four years.
Maher outlined several restrictions on the house arrest, including not having any visitors under age 25, except for family.
The judge read out his lengthy decision in court, summing up the case and offering the rationale behind his pronouncement.
He acknowledged the case had "understandably outraged many citizens" – a situation made worse without a trial to detail the events surrounding Rolston's death.
The four men pleaded guilty to lesser charges, with Griffiths entering his plea specifically as a party to the offence (meaning it was possible someone else dealt the fatal blow).
Maher said it was impossible to know from the evidence whether Griffiths or the young offender struck the blow that killed Shane Rolston.
Who hit Rolston and what he was hit with, Maher noted, might never be known.
He said it was clear the four young men anticipated potential violence, possibly resulting from their previous eviction from the party.
"You do not take baseball bats, pipes, hockey sticks and bear spray to a tea party," Maher said.
Maher said there was no evidence to justify the "vicious attack" launched against Rolston.
The judge found that Bridges, Lawson and Giourmetakis did not enter the house at the time of the attack.
In the accuseds' favour, they did not bring knives or guns, and the attack appeared to be "relatively spontaneous" and brief.
Maher took into consideration the fact that Griffiths and the three other teens charged have shown remorse, and that none had been in trouble before.
He said their youth and previously good characters were factors in avoiding stiffer sentences.
"It is clear to me that their conduct on the night in question is a complete surprise not only to their families but to those who know them in the general community," the judge said.
"I do not expect any of them to be before the courts again."
After the four were sentenced, only Josiah Lawson offered an apology which he read out in court.
"I'm sincerely sorry for the pain I've put the family of Mr. Rolston through. There hasn't been a day that goes by when I haven't regretted what happened that night."
Alberta Justice spokesman Sandi Walker said the appeals branch was to review the decision, with the Crown having 30 days to launch an appeal.
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When the day's proceedings and the signing of documents was done, Lawson, Bridges and Giourmetakis were observed lunching and relaxing with their families in the courthouse cafeteria.
The trio grinned and chatted amongst themselves.
A young offender also charged in the attack on Shane Rolston was to have appeared in a Sherwood Park court on October 30th, 2006.
No details about that appearance were available. He was now set for a formal arraignment set to be held on December 15th, 2006.
November 9th sentencing reaction | back to ongoing developments menu
On November 19th, 2006 the Edmonton Sun reported the families of Shane Rolston and Joshua Hunt have joined forces in spirit and through the internet calling for changes to the treatment of young offenders, some who fall under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Hunt (left) was fatally stabbed at a Mill Woods house party on October 14th, 2006.
Through a petition at www.shanerolston.ca, the Rolston family is asking for a review to be conducted of the sentences given to four eighteen-year-olds initially charged with first-degree murder.
"We believe the court did not make the punishment fit the crime in this situation. We feel that life is the most precious thing we can possess. It is not appropriate or logical to give such trivial sentences as punishment for taking life in such a brutal way," says the petition.
Sentencing in the Rolston case ranged from a four-year term for manslaughter for one (with parole eligibility within 16 months), and conditional sentences for the other three.
The Rolston family announced that further details of the petition would be made available at a vigil to be held later in the day at the Bev Facey high school in Sherwood Park.
Kelly Rolston was interviewed by CTV and Global Edmonton.
"When all this started, I prayed that this would be the last one."
"That maybe, because Shane was doing everything right that night, maybe the courts and everybody would stand up and say 'Look, enough is enough.' "
"And almost every weekend it's continued."
"I blame the judicial system."
"Two of these kids have had previous run-ins with the law. If they were dealt with properly at the point in time this would never have happened."
"If the government and the legal system had done what it was designed to do these incidences wouldn't be occurring."
Rolston spoke of the type of sentences he'd like to see introduced.
"I believe that we need harsher first offences. I don't think that we need extreme first offences – I believe they need to be a little bit more harsh. I believe that they have to make the point."
"In the case of murder – there is no excuse. Anybody above two-years-old knows that it's not right to kill."
“The more of us working together the better,” Kelly Rolston told the Sun about collaborating with Gary Hunt.
“Unfortunately, we have a terrible common bond. I have no idea why we shouldn’t be able to work together to bring about positive change.”
Gary Hunt says his petition had gathered as many as 30,000 signatures calling for a revamp or removal of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Hunt is calling for a change to existing laws so that young offenders may be dealt with more severely, including the option to be tried and sentenced as adults, and allowing the media to report a young accused’s name and to publish their picture.
Hunt is also calling for more accountability in the legal system by having Canadian judges elected to their position.
"I've had e-mails from people all over Canada who have been victimised, whether through rape, murder, robberies or beatings," Hunt told the Sun.
"In most cases, the people convicted of those crimes got house arrest. We want to get together with all those people who have been victimised."
Petitions have been circulated in other recent high-profile Edmonton murder cases.
In the fall of 2005 citizens signed a petition to have the bail of Michael White revoked. White was accused of killing his wife Liana and dumping her body in a ditch in July 2005.
In the spring of 2006 several petitions were launched to have bail revoked for four teens charged with the murder of Stefan Conley.
Conley was swarmed on an Edmonton Transit bus on March 2nd, 2006. Details of the petition can be seen here, here and here.
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On a cold late-fall evening later on November 19th, nearly 200 friends and family of Shane Rolston gathered at Bev Facey high school in Sherwood Park for a candlelight vigil.
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It was the first anniversary of Rolston's murder at a house party. It was also the same day another teen, Evan Grykuliak, was murdered while celebrating his birthday at a west end community league hall.
Kelly Rolston acknowleged the city's most recent homicide and offered a word of concern.
"I want to extend my deepest sympathies to Evan's family and condolences ..."
"What they're going to go through the next year is worse than any hell that anybody can ever tell them."
Rolston spoke of those attending the vigil and what it meant to his family.
"The support has been absolutely fantastic throughout this last year. All the young folk you've been seeing here – truly fantastic. They're with us all the time."
"It helps, it really does. They're good people – all these kids. They deserve a break. They deserve to be able to go out and party and not worry about who's next."
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Joining the Rolston family was Gary Hunt, whose son Josh Hunt was fatally stabbed at a house party just as the teens charged with Shane Rolston's death were coming to trial.
The vigil marked the first time the two fathers met face to face.
"Getting together, putting our thoughts together and our support together, building the numbers is what's going to change what needs to be changed in the justice system," Gary Hunt said.
"We've both lost our sons. By supporting each other, and educating teens, we can change the way things are happening."
"Teens are scared, and I don't blame them. It seems like everyone's carrying a weapon. It's all gone on too long."
"I'm not giving up. The rest of these families are not giving up. We're going all the way."
Several of Shane's friends at the vigil had been at the party where he was beaten to death.
"Sentences needs to be changed. I don't care how old you are – 10, 12, or 17 – if you stick a knife in someone, or hit them with a bat or a hockey stick, you know it might kill them," said one friend.
"People, judges, need to understand that a lot of teens carry knives, and they're stupid enough to use them."
"It's teens who think they're gangsters," said another friend.
"They want to be tough, but really they're just too much of a pussy to fight with their fists, or not fight at all."
"Getting away with murder because you're a teen is bull," another 18-year-old said.
"Last year, the year before, ever since I can remember we've been told not to play with knives, not to use weapons. We know, but the laws treat us as if we don't, and that's how guys get away with this."
During the vigil, youth Pastor Wade Gardiner urged the teens in attendance to let their lives take on a purpose.
Many agreed working with parents to end teen violence was a worthy one.
"We think it's bad for us to lose a friend, well, it's many times worse for a parent to lose a child," a fourth friend told the Sun.
"Our parents are smart. They can do the things we can't to implement changes in the laws."
A bench will be named and a tree will be planted outside Bev Facey high school in Shane's memory. Donations to the Shane Rolston Trust fund can be made at any Scotia Bank.
Another vigil, this time for Josh Hunt, was be held on the steps of the Alberta legislature on November 23rd on what would have been the teen's 17th birthday.
Gary, who turned 41 on November 18th, said the pair always celebrated their birthdays together.
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On December 6th, 2006 the fifth person charged in connection of the death of Shane Rolston pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
The young offender (who turned 18 the day he was arrested) was initially charged with first-degree murder. He also faced two additional charges of assault with a weapon.
Appearing before Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Sterling Sanderman, the youth – now 19 – was dressed in a suit and tie and told the judge that he admitted to an agreed statement of facts.
Crown prosecutor Greg Marchant accepted the reduced plea because it could not be proven that the teen intended to kill Rolston.
“Unfortunately, there is no evidence establishing who struck the blow that killed Mr. Rolston,” said Marchant.
A two-day sentencing hearing was slated for February 26th, 2007. Justice Sanderman ordered that a pre-sentence report be prepared.
Defence lawyer Kelly Dawson told the court a constitutional challenge would be launched to prevent the teen from being sentenced as an adult.
As was the case in the reduced pleas of the four others charged with Rolston's death, the agreeing to a statement of facts prevented other details of the murder from being brought out in court.
The question of who struck the fatal blow that killed Shane Rolston now remains unresolved.
The maximum sentence for manslaughter for a youth is three years, with a maximum of two years in custody.
Later in the day Kelly Rolston, Shane's father, attended a CBC Radio forum called Ending Teen Violence held at Ross Sheppard Composite High School.
December 6th plea reaction | back to ongoing developments menu
December 15th, 2006
Crown prosecutors wishing to appeal sentencing decisions must do so within 30 days of the judgement.
It was learned the Crown decided not to appeal the sentences handed November 9th to four of the five youths charged with Shane Rolston's murder.
“You can’t just appeal a sentence because you don’t like it,” said Alberta Justice spokesman David Dear.
“The Criminal Code allows conditional sentences for violent offenders and we’ve said for some time that’s not appropriate."
"We looked at the facts of the case. We believe there are no legal grounds to appeal."
To have legal grounds for appeal, the judge must make an error in law or principle, too much or too little emphasis must be given to sentencing factors or the sentence must be "demonstrably unfit," Dear said.
The Crown's office determined the sentences did not fit any of those criteria, according to Dear.
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With the second-deadliest year on record wrapping up, on December 29th the Edmonton Sun contacted Kelly Rolston for his advice to teens and parents planning on celebrating the arrival of 2007.
"They have to learn to have fun safely and resolve to keep the party safe," Rolston told the Sun.
"Be very wary of who's coming to your party and have an adult there or available," he said.
"If the parents aren't going to be home, they need to talk to their neighbours in front of the kids and set down ground rules," Rolston said.
"If the neighbour sees there are more cars there than has been allowed, then they should call the police and have the party cut back down to size."
Kelly said he planned a "quiet" New Year's Eve with what he says is little to look forward to in 2007 other than seeing changes made to the youth criminal justice system.
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February 26th, 2007
A two-day sentencing hearing got underway for the last of five teens who pleaded guilty to killing Shane Rolston.
Justice Sterling Sanderman was asked by Crown prosecutor Greg Marchant to sentence the teen, now 19, as an adult. The teen turned 18 the day after Rolston was murdered.
Defence lawyer Laura Stevens, who preferred her client receive a youth sentence, raised the possibility of a special community conference between the teen and Rolston's family.
Court heard the December 6th, 2006 plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter was accepted by the Crown because there was no evidence establishing who struck the blow that killed Rolston and it could not be proven that the teen intended to kill him.
A probation officer who interviewd the youth gave her report. She said he understood the pain he caused the Rolston family, he was remorseful and that there was no excuse for what he did.
Members of Rolston's family repeated the same victim impact statements they read last year when the other four teens charged in the case appeared in court. All were 18 at the time of the killing and were sentenced as adults.
The teen cried and trembled in court as the victim's family talked about their ruined lives.
“I wish this had never happened, and I'd just like to say how truly sorry I am,” the boy said through tears.
Sobbing, his mother stood up and told Shane's family she had wanted to apologise for so long.
“I'm so sorry for your loss,” she said as she walked to the public gallery and hugged Shane's parents.
“I'm sorry too,” said Shane's father, Kelly Rolston. “Thank you.”
The teen's family doesn't celebrate his birthday the same way they used to, now place an extra candle on a cake to remember Shane, the boy he helped kill at a Sherwood Park house party.
Outside court, Kelly Rolston said he did not want to sit in a circle and talk with the teen who helped kill his son.
"Nobody's even bothered to tell us what happened that night," he said. "Part of accepting responsibility for your actions is accepting what you've done."
"This is a life sentence for us as well as Shane. We'll never be able to see ..."
"Every day we wake up and we want to talk to him, every day we want to look at him, we want to hear about him ... and it's not there anymore."
Rolston again referred to the larger issue of re-evaluating the sentences given criminals in comparison to their crimes.
"The courts and everybody has to recognise is that it isn't the immediate victim in this case. It's thousands of people that are affected by this."
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February 27th, 2007
The sentencing hearing continued with Crown prosecutor Greg Marchant continuing his argument that the teen should be sentenced as an adult.
Justice Sterling Sanderman of Court of Queen's Bench then ruled the fifth and final teen charged in the beating death of Shane Rolston would be sentenced as an adult.
Sanderman ruled a youth sentence would not hold him sufficiently accountable for such a serious crime.
As a result of the ruling, Kyle Werner can now be publicly identified.
Sanderman made the decision after hearing legal arguments from both Crown and defence lawyers following emotional speeches from the teen and his parents.
He sentenced Werner to two years in jail and three years of probation on the manslaughter charge.
Sanderman said a young man with no criminal past, who made a foolish decision one night with his friends, would not fare well in a federal penitentiary and would serve his time in a provincial jail.
"We don't have a vengeance-based system," Sanderson said. "If we had a vengeance-based system, we'd be back in the dark ages."
"One thing I know for certain is young men like Kyle don't do well in prison."
The judge told Werner he was going to be his personal “jailer” while he was on probation.
“I will become your jailer,” said Sanderman. “I will be the person in control of your life for the next three years following your release.”
As part of the ruling, Sanderman told the 19-year-old he must report to him within 30 days of getting out of jail and every six months after until the time is up.
As part of Werner's probation, he must either work or go to school and abide by a daily 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew. He is also forbidden from drinking alcohol and must take counselling and perform 240 hours of community service.
Crown prosecutor Greg Marchant had asked for four years in prison, the same sentence handed to Christopher Griffiths, who also pleaded guilty to being a party to manslaughter.
Werner and Griffiths both took responsibility for Rolston's death, but their manslaughter pleas did not indicate who delivered the single blow that killed Shane Rolston.
"We don't know who struck the fatal blow and we'll probably never know," said Sanderman.
Outside court, the victim's father said he accepted Werner's remorse as genuine and added it has helped him with his frustration against the justice system.
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“I don't think Kyle wanted to do this,” said Kelly Rolston. “I believe it was just stupidity.”
"Right now I feel like what was handed to Kyle was fair."
Rolston said he would not be abandoning his efforts to demand the government get tougher on youth violence.
"I would have to say that I still want something to stop this. I think everybody's right – it has to start with parenting, community, schools, the justice system."
"I don't know that I would want to be in the judge's position the last two days. I know I was up and down emotionally very much as to where it is things should be."
Rolston also said the tribute as well as tears and apologies from Werner and his parents in court helped him accept the teen's two-year-jail sentence for being a party to manslaughter.
"I really have to give a lot of credit to Kyle's family. The Werners at least showed some remorse there."
"They're not bad people," said Rolston. "Kyle did all the right things, said all the right things. He showed all the emotions. I believe he regrets what he has done."
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March 10th, 2007
Hundreds of Albertans whose lives have been touched by violence gathered in Edmonton's Sir Winston Churchill Square.
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They had come together to collect signatures on petitions calling for stiffer penalties under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
For rally organiser Gary Hunt, the event was the culmination of six months of work collecting signatures and keeping the issue of what he felt was needed change to the Youth Criminal Justice Act before the public.
The rally became a march – leaving Churchill Square, weaving its way down Jasper Avenue and on to the Provincial Legislature Grounds.
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Wearing the same "The Good Die Young" hoodies he wore throughout the trials of five teens charged with death of his son, Kelly Rolston walked with Shane's stepmother Shelley Reason.
"Watching the people look out the windows and watch us on the street as we're marching down, they were interested in what was going on."
"The more interest, the more likely we're going to make the change."
For more about the rally, visit the Why Edmonton? A Silent March For Justice page.
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May 5th, 2007
Kelly Rolston and Shelley Reason, along with relatives and friends of Nina Courtepatte, Joshua Hunt, Dylan McGillis and Sara Easton, all teenagers killed in the Edmonton area over the past two years, gathered in the basement of Sacred Heart Church.
Together they held the inaugural meeting of the Citizens' Rights Group, an organisation whose mandate is to lobby government for improvements to the criminal justice system.
For more about their efforts, visit the Why Edmonton? Citizens' Rights Group Forms page.
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Victim impact statements
After the pleas were entered October 23rd, 2006 victim impact statements were read out in court.
While emotions ran high among those in attendance, with many crying, the four accused stood emotionless and stared straight ahead.
Anita Rolston, Shane's mother, spoke of what she would miss.
"I won't be able to see Shane's life unfold."
"Getting married, having kids and being the grandmother to them. I won't see Shane achieve his dreams and goals in life."
"A part of me has died with him."
Kelly Rolston, Shane's father, displayed anguish in his statement to the court.
"This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to write."
"From the moment I received the fateful phone call, everything I believed in has been in question."
Kelly Rolston then described what he felt at a hospital bedside.
"That was the longest most horrific 12 hours of my life ... having seen this smiling laughing healthy young man, my son, reduced to an organ donor."
"I know Shane is in a better place and I have to be a good person if I want to see him again."
The strongest statement came from Shane's stepfather, Guy Lefebvre.
"I see the people I hold dearest in great pain over the murder of Shane."
Turning to the accused Lefebvre said, "I hope you all suffer."
Of the four teens in the prisoner's box, only Christopher Griffiths addressed the court and the victim's family.
"I apologise for the pain we've caused the family. No parent should have to bury their child. I can't imagine what you went through."
"I'm sorry. We never intended for any of this to happen."
October 23rd plea reaction
Outside court, Kelly Rolston spoke at length to the media.
"Out of all of this we know that they are not going to pay nearly as much as we are."
"We're going to suffer the rest of our lives for this."
"We have to hope that when they get out, or if they get in jail, that they are going to be good productive members of society."
"We have to hope that they've learned their lesson."
Kelly Rolston also spoke to the issue of societal violence, especially amongst teens.
"These people aren't getting much of a sentence and we sit back and wonder why it is our society's in such a mess. There isn't a deterrent out there at the moment."
"There is no way these young people should be dying out there and it wasn't just Shane."
"There's been hundreds of people that have died for absolutely no reason."
"There's a lot parents going through this same stuff ... and it's not right."
About the legal process, Shane's father reflected.
"I believe that the Crown did what the laws were allowed to let them do. And I believe that everybody – the defence – did what they had to do."
"You can murder someone in front of so many witnesses but it's not murder? The judicial system is long overdue for an overhaul."
"I believe it's time for the politicians to stand up and start making some changes."
"They only thing that would make it better is if it never happened. It's never going to be better."
Kelly Rolston said he was disappointed the teens did not explain their individual roles in the attack.
"If the kids were as remorseful as they're saying they are, they would have no problem sitting down, and the full account of that night would be made public. No one has ever done that."
The harshest words came from Shane's stepfather, Guy Lefebvre.
"I don't believe a word he's saying," he judged Griffiths' apology.
"He's guilty. He should go to jail for a very long time. He struck Shane. Shane can't come back. An eye for an eye, folks. That's the way it should be."
"Griffiths should suffer. He took Shane away from us – there's no way of replacing Shane."
"But I hope when that young man goes to jail that he understands why he's there."
About Guy's 'I hope you all suffer' remark made in court CTV reporter David Ewasuk asked, "You made sure you looked right at them?"
Guy sternly replied, "Oh yeah. I have no love for those guys. None at all."
October 24th sentencing argument reaction
The news that defence lawyers were proposing that three of the accused serve conditional sentences in the community angered the Rolston family as well as Shane's friends.
Brian Hnatiw, a friend who was at the fateful party but left early, broke the wall of silence put up by teens attending the court sessions.
"[It] makes me really angry. It's almost been a year since Shane's been gone and nothing's been done about it."
"These guys are living normal lives right now when they should be locked up."
"I think thay they're all very guilty. They took my good friend Shane away from me ... can't bring him back. They need to definitely go to jail and thing about what they've done."
Hnatiw told media outside court how he felt about the legal process he witnessed.
"Youth needs to know this kind of violence can't be tolerated."
"Conditional sentencing is trying to make them more youthful as if they didn't know what they were doing when they clearly had intent."
"When you steal a license plate and go back to the party you know what you're doing, you know you're causing havoc."
Kelly Rolston, Shane's father, was dumbfounded that the Crown's case fell apart.
"You've got all the weapons. You've got all of four witnesses and all of a sudden you can't make a case."
"Now today we're hearing that our system is going to fail – again."
"This was out-and-out murder. Shane was a victim."
"He had done absolutely nothing. He was standing in the foyer when they came and beat him with that bat."
Shane's stepfather, Guy Lefebvre, didn't mask his feelings toward the accused.
"Their statements that they're sorry for what they've done doesn't wash – not with me and not with the family."
"These guys are remorseful now only because they've been caught."
"These guys are animals and as far as I'm concerned, they need to be put down like rabid dogs."
Lefebvre wished that all five accused be sent to prison for a long time.
"They deserve jail time and they deserve hard time."
In the wake of the sentencing arguments, 630 CHED Radio news director Bob Layton offered his take on the situation during his editorial spot on Global Edmonton news.
A copy of of what he said can be found on Bob's Blog at the CHED site.
The station also quizzed its listeners about the need for a province-wide teen curfew based on one already in effect in Sherwood Park.
61.06% said YES to a province-wide curfew, 31.86% said NO while 7.06% were undecided.
There was no indication of how many voted on the one-day voluntary poll which allowed only one response per computer.
November 9th sentencing reaction
On the day provincial court Judge John Maher handed down his sentences, the court room gallery was filled by over 100, many of them Rolston supporters who wore the same hoodies seen earlier.
Reaction to the sentences was immediate and strong.
When Judge Maher adjourned court, all those in attendance rose as is customary.
All rose except Kelly Rolston, Shane's father.
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Outside court, family and friends of the Sherwood Park teen faced the media.
"We were hoping that at this point in time ... it's long overdue but a stand's been made," said Kelly Rolston.
Shane's father took issue with the case-precedent reasoning Judge Maher used as part of his decision process.
"Reliving past trials from twenty years ago and the sentences there is no longer sufficient."
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"I have to come to grips with it and re-evaluate everything I believed in."
"What I believed in was a just Canada, where if you took a life you were responsible for it."
"The verdict that came down today ... human life in this country isn’t worth a whole lot.”
"They have to start making it so people are safe. The teen violence out there is becoming a real nightmare."
"This did not, in any way shape or form, deter the next group of teens to go out and beat somebody on a bus or shoot somebody as they're walking down for Christmas presents or all the other atrocities that are happening."
Anita Rolston, Shane's mother, offered a tearful assessment.
"[Case precedent] shouldn't be an excuse for us to accept something less. What's a right or wrong punishment I don't even know anymore."
"Feelings of emptiness and anger and disbelief and confusion, and everyday it's just a nightmare."
“These boys owe us something they can never repay.”
A friend of the Rolston family said the sentences tells teens there is no consequence for serious violence.
"It is time to set a precedent and to make a very clear statement that there will be consequences now," Keri Erickson said. "I'm sorry that it didn't happen today."
Several of Shane's friends offered their views of the sentencing decision.
"House arrest is pretty ridiculous," said Zach Smith.
"Like so what, they get to sit around and play Xbox for two years on their couch."
"I just thought jail time would have been appropriate for all of them since it was a group decision to go back to the house with weapons."
"You want to know why all the crime rates and all the murder rates in Edmonton are rising so much like it's because of messages like these," Smith said.
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"Pretty much you can get away with murder as long as you don't use a knife or a gun – just use a bat," said Katie Young.
"Four years in jail isn't enough for killing somebody, for taking somebody else's life," said J.P. Wallin.
"I just think that our government should be disgusted, they should be embarassed about what happened in there today – about what's happening all over the country with teen violence."
Wallin also said he didn't believe the teens sentenced showed any remorse.
"They sat there stone-faced the whole time."
Josiah Lawson's lawyer, Peter Northcott, figured the judge's decision was fair.
"There's a denuncitory aspect to it."
"As the judge said, you're in your house for 24 hours a day but for going to work."
"What does it achieve to be in jail for these young people?"
"It's like coming to my own funeral," Christopher Griffiths's father said after his son was led into custody.
"It's like a bad dream."
The sentencing also came as a shock to University of Alberta criminologist Bill Pitt.
Interviewed by the Edmonton Sun, Pitt said blame for the next murder carried out by youths will rest on the backs of judges.
"The next juvenile homicide that occurs in this country – you can point a finger at the judiciary."
"I mean, my goodness, has the bench totally abandoned us to these murderers?"
Pitt told the Sun judges should be made to answer to the public for their decisions.
"Why shouldn't our judges be accountable when they start abandoning their moral duty to protect society?"
The criminologist said the light sentences showed a "lack of moral courage" to send young people to jail.
The Sun also interviewed Shane's father, Kelly Rolston.
He said the sentences handed down in his son's death have become more painful upon reflection.
"We feel that it's very unjust. Shane deserved much more than that," said Kelly.
"The justice system needs a major overhaul. The prosecution is so handcuffed."
"The only way you're going to get a murder conviction in this country is to get the guy standing over the body and he's willing to write it down and sign [it]."
"And then it'll get thrown out because he didn't have his lawyer."
Kelly told the Sun his family planned to launch a petition to the federal government calling for sentences that better suit the crimes committed.
He also said the family has not ruled out taking civil action against the four convicted teens and their families.
Gary Hunt, father of Joshua Hunt who was stabbed to death during a Mill Woods house party on October 14th, 2006, has already launched a similar suit.
"At this point in time we're keeping [the civil suit] option open," Kelly said.
A 630 CHED Radio news poll posted a day after the sentencing asked Edmontonians "Should we do away with conditional sentences when a violent death is involved?"
92.9% said YES while 7.7% said NO.
There was no indication of how many voted on the one-day voluntary poll which allowed only one response per computer.
An Edmonton Sun news poll asked Edmontonians "Do you think the sentences for Shane Rolston’s attackers were too light?"
The Sun poll showed 97% voting YES and 3% voting NO.
1394 voted on the one-day voluntary poll which allowed only one response per computer.
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December 6th plea reaction
After hearing the fifth person charged in connection with his son's death plead guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter, a disappointed and frustrated Kelly Rolston said the result was “pretty much the same as the last time.”
On November 9th, 2006 Justin Bridges, Jonathan Giourmetakis and Josiah Lawson, all 19, were handed two-year conditional sentences to be served in the community. They pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon.
Christopher Griffiths, 19, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in a federal prison.
"Shane was murdered. To be calling it accidental or manslaughter is not right."
“It’s just a ridiculous system. Something has to change. Parents have to change. Laws have to change,” said Kelly Rolston.
"These crimes have to be punished at whatever age and in such a light that people won't ever think of committing them again. I don't care how old you are."
The Rolston family has launched a petition at www.shanerolston.ca.
“We’re trying to make an awareness, making people see it could be anybody’s child next,” said Rolston.
“It’s not right and things have to change.”
Shane's stepmother, Shelley Reason, agreed with her common-law husband.
"The kids have plead guilty but they have not taken responsibility."
"They've plead guilty to being a party to, they have not plead guilty to actually doing it."
“Not one of them has admitted anything,” she said.
“It’s time someone stepped up to the plate and started handing out stiffer sentences. It’s nuts. Our system needs to change.”
Rolston also took issue with the Strathcona County RCMP.
“We were told from the beginning this is a rock-solid case and these kids are going to jail for a long time,” said Rolston.
He said the RCMP police also told the family not to speak to the media.
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This page updated
21:10 2007-05-05.