Blaine Arthur McNally, 18, was stabbed to death July 26th, 2009.
McNally was Strathcona County's third homicide victim of the year.
Justin Anthony Faltermeir, 18, was charged with first-degree murder.
first court appearance |
memorial
first-degree murder?
case put over
Strathcona County RCMP got a call at around 3:00 a.m. July 26th, 2009 about an altercation at the Broadmoor Lake Condominiums at 2131 Oak Street in Sherwood Park.
Officers arrived to find a man bleeding from a chest wound.
Paramedics treated the man at the scene. He was then taken to the University of Alberta hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A man delivering newspapers made the news after spotting a man fleeing the scene.
A tracking dog was brought in and within twenty minutes RCMP arrested a suspect outside the main entrance of the Sherwood Park Mall. Police said the man was from Edmonton.
"An 18 year-old-male was located a short distance away, close to the Sherwood Park Mall and he was arrested there without incident and he remains in custody," Const. Wally Henry told media.
Police credited witnesses for the quick arrest.
“I think it’s fair to say that in this case it did play a significant role and this goes to show the involvement that the public can have, whether it’s a serious matter like this or whether its something more minor, that people are paying attention to their surroundings and knowing what’s going on in their neighbourhood,” Henry said.
Investigators believed the stabbing took place at a townhouse where about ten people had gathered.
The victim and the suspect were known to each other but police had yet to determine what their relationship was. Neither man was known to police, and neither was the address where the stabbing took place.
Neighbours told media the stabbing victim, who police found lying face down in a yard, was the boyfriend of an 18-year-old woman who had been staying with friends.
Violence was rare in the area, residents said, and even the local partiers were quiet and polite – read more »
"They were having drinks and stuff outside because it was hot, but they weren't loud when I went to bed," Melissa Erickson told reporters.
But at 3:00 a.m. the air was filled with the sound of cries and screams, with a woman yelling that someone had been stabbed.
"I just heard her screaming 'Call the ambulance! Call the ambulance! he got stabbed, he got stabbed.' So I looked out the back window and there was a guy laying down in the backyard," Erickson said.
A man returning home from his job as a bouncer at Jet Nightclub spoke of his surprise encounter with police.
"We just pulled up into the driveway here and the cops asked us if we had seen a native with a white t-shirt on," area resident Dave Doucet said.
"We'd seen him running through the field up here this way and so they went chasing after him."
Reporters asked Doucet how he felt knowing the man had been caught.
"Oh it's a good feeling ... that's good. I'm glad that they caught him."
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On July 27th, 2009 Strathcona RCMP announced that 18-year-old Blaine Arthur McNally was the victim of the weekend's homicide.
Justin Anthony Faltermeir, also 18, was charged with first-degree murder.
Faltermeir was scheduled to make his first appearance in Sherwood Park Provincial Court on July 29th.
As the investigation is still ongoing, anyone with information about what took place was asked to contact RCMP at 780-467-7741.
"At this social event that was going on at this house ... there were a small group of people there and we believe that the two people that were involved in the altercation did know each other.
"To what extent or how they ended up at this place we're still trying to determine, " Const. Wally Henry told media.
Through Facebook messages and in statements to the media, Blaine McNally was lovingly remembered – read more »
Speaking for her family, Blaine's mother Tammy McNally issued the following message:
"We are embracing the 18 wonderful years we were so lucky to have him for and he filled such a short time with so many laughs and memories.
"He lived every single second of his short life going as fast as he could and touching and helping as many people as possible.
"I hope that we all can take his memory and make this world a better place because of him."
Blaine had turned 18 less than three weeks before his death.
Friends, family and even former teachers paid tribute to him on the R.I.P Blaine McNally I LOVE YOUU Facebook page set up in his memory.
One person who spoke most highly of Blaine was Chasidy Yanda, the 18-year-old's ex-girlfriend.
"He had the heart of gold and would always give before he received," Yanda recalled. "He was such a giving person. He would do anything for anyone, he really would.
"He would always give before he received," she said. "He wanted to be a police officer sometimes and a big business-man like his grandpa other times and a mechanic. He loved cars and mechanics. He loved kids."
Blaine had dropped out of high school in Grade Ten but had recently started taking classes at the alternative high school, Next Step, in Sherwood Park.
"He just turned his life around. He took a bartending course and did so well. He got a job as a bartender at a new restaurant," Yanda said. "He was an amazing person and didn't deserve this."
McNally was to start at a soon-to-open location of the Original Joe's restaurant chain.
Karri Wolkowski said Blaine was someone friends could confide in.
"I could ask him anything and I could tell him anything and he'd always be there to give me advice," Karri said.
Blaine left behind his mother and father, and two younger brothers.
While most said Blaine was a person least deserving of his fate, some revealed there may have been another side to him.
It was reported by the Edmonton Journal that McNally attended the gathering with a friend who had become "romantically involved" with the girlfriend of the man police charged.
Everything seemed to be patched over when McNally, who had a few drinks in him, "opened his mouth" while defending his friend.
The friend left the party, and McNally was later stabbed.
The most telling statement came from Chasidy Yanda, who dated Blaine while he was still in high school – read more »
Speaking to Global Edmonton, Yanda detailed her recent break-up with the young man.
"He wanted to get out ... he wanted to have some fun like a teenager," Yanda said.
"He picked the wrong ways to go out – he picked the wrong people to hang out with."
First court appearance
On July 29th, 2009 Justin Faltermeier made his first court appearance – by way of video link – in a Sherwood Park courtroom.
On the screen, Faltermeier appeared clean-shaven with neatly cropped hair.
The 18-year-old, wearing a standard-issue blue jumpsuit, got an early lesson in the justice system when he abruptly announced his plea.
"I plead not guilty until I get counsel," Justin said.
The judge decided to reserve a plea on Faltermeier's behalf because he did not have legal representation.
The matter was put over until August 5th.
Family and relatives of the accused were in attendance at the brief session. Justin Faltermier's father offered comments to media about what he thought was behind the deadly incident – read more »
Heading in to the small Sherwood Park courtroom, members of Justin's family knew they would be at the centre of media attention when the session was over.
Later, braving a media scrum, Justin's father Mark Faltermier aplogised to the McNally family and spoke up for his son.
"Justin's very sorry for Blaine and it hurts him a lot. He's very emotionally upset," Mark said.
"I feel bad for Blaine's family members ... I apologise but they got to realise too, that the situation was for the last year, year-and-a-half, Blaine's pushed and pushed and enough was enough.
"I support my son ... he's not a murderer.
"He did everything in self-defence. He was put in a situation where he was defending himself. He was scared and he's sorry that things went to this situation.
"He's very emotionally upset. He's going to regret this the rest of his life. He's a good boy so I support him one hundred per cent."
Mark then revealed more about what might have been behind the fatal stabbing.
"He's threatened my son – there's is a text to prove it ... there's a death threat there as well.
"I never expected for something to revolve like this – this bad ... it's unfortunate," he said.
"It's unfortunate Blaine's not around. But, you know, my son did this in self-defence.
"Everybody's got to look at the situation and what provoked the whole situation. The truth's going to come out in the end."
Mark said it was Blaine who pulled the knife and attacked his son. He claimed Justin worked until 2:00 a.m. – an hour before the slaying was said to have taken place.
"He wasn't drunk or intoxicated. He had his head on his shoulders at that time."
The father added he was "scared" for his son and hoped that his family could find a good lawyer (one was secured later in the day).
Mark also said he had spoken to Justin, who remains in custody.
"I told him you've got to be strong to get through this ordeal. It wasn't your fault. You were put in a situation."
Usually it's the media who are in the face of their subjects. When emotions ran high after the question and answer period, the tables were turned – see images »
"Okay! Stop the cameras ... fuck off, please. Seriously, fuck off, okay?" Justin Faltermier's brother warned those recording the event.
In the wake of statements made by Justin's father, one person said there was no way the accused would have needed a knife to fight off the slightly-built 130-pound teen.
"This guy could not have felt threatened by Blaine," a friend said, requesting anonymity of the Edmonton Sun.
"Justin's case will not hold up in court. I'm certain of it.
"Blaine will get the justice he deserves."
Only one member from the McNally family was at the court appearance, Blaine's grandfather. He told a reporter he just wanted to see with his own eyes the man accused of murdering his grandson.
He offered but a short comment for the record, saying only: "My grandson is gone. Blaine is gone forever."
The McNally family declined offers of a media interview, instead issuing a statement:
"We are going to let the court settle this. What isn't settled in the court - God will deal with.
"Right now we want to channel our energy into grieving for our son and then channel any energy that is left into preventing future violence in the community.
"If you need to know what kind of person Blaine was, you need to look no further than the multiple posts on his Facebook tribute page.
Memorial
On July 30th Blaine McNally's obituary appeared in a local newspaper.
A celebration of his life took place on August 1st in Sherwood Park – read more »
Hundreds gathered to celebrate Blaine's life, so many that not even an overflow room could accommodate those wishing to attend – leaving many to peer in through chapel doorways.
While most friends, family and teachers praised McNally, some expressed their outrage over his death.
"He didn't fight, he wasn't confrontational, he always stood up for his friends," Samantha Morris said.
"I don't think there was a single person who hated this kid," she added.
"The [killer] ... deserves to feel the pain everyone here feels today," Colton Monson said.
"Justice for me would see him in the ground."
Monson called the young man accused of Blaine's death a coward for attacking him with a knife.
"[McNally] didn't deserve this. He was one of the best-hearted kids ever."
For one young woman, it was a wedding and not a funeral that should have brought those who knew and loved Blaine out in such numbers.
"He shared his love and gave love in so many ways," Brooke Harden said. "He had already proposed to me when this happened."
Harden said theirs was a secret love. They had dated, broken up, and reunited just weeks before McNally's death.
"It wasn't his time," she said.
In McNally's honour, his family set up a bursary at the Next Step school their son attended.
First-degree murder?
The charge of first-degree murder suprised some who viewed the matter as a simple but unfortunate mix of alcohol and teenage testosterone – read more »
Brian Hurley, a past president of the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association, told Global Edmonton of what he thought might be behind the laying of the most serious of homicide charges.
"A first-degree murder charge indicates that the police believe that they have evidence of planning and deliberation before the murder occurred."
Hurley, a defence lawyer not connected with the case, said the public should not be quick to jump to conclusions.
"Quite often the police err on the side of laying perhaps the most serious charge and obviously we don't know the full story – we haven't heard the other side," Hurley said.
Case put over
On August 5th, 2009 the matter of Blaine McNally's murder was again before a judge in a Sherwood Park courtroom.
As Justin Faltermeier's image appeared on a video monitor, Crown counsel was showing the judge a thick binder of police evidence that was just received.
A stay of proceedings was granted so that lawyers could examine the documents.
Faltermeier's next appearance was set for September 9th.
Unlike events after the last court session, Faltermeier's father Mark made a quick exit.
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