Kelly Clarke guilty of murder in Labossiere deaths

A jury has found Kelly Clarke guilty of murder in the shooting deaths of a Winnipeg couple in their home in 2008.

Clarke, 41, was found guilty on Thursday of two counts of first-degree in the deaths of Joel Labossiere, 34, and his wife, Magdalena, 33, who were found shot in their St. Vital home on April 20, 2008.

Following a trial that began Nov. 16 in Winnipeg, the 12 jurors deliberated for most of Wednesday and Thursday morning before reaching their decision just after 1 p.m. CT.

With the first-degree murder conviction, Clarke has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

During the trial, the jury heard testimony about Clarke going to the Labossiere home, armed with a shotgun, and shooting the couple.

A neighbour had heard the unattended cries of their one-year-old daughter and called police. Magdalena Labossiere was pregnant at the time of her death.

'Justice will never be done,' says mother

"We've been waiting 3½ years. It's been a long time and now it's a bit of a relief that it's finally come to an end," Joel Labossiere's mother, Rose Labossiere, told reporters outside the courthouse.

But when asked if justice has been served, the elder Labossiere replied, "No, justice will never be done in this case."

In court, Crown prosecutor Gerry Bowering read aloud a powerful victim impact statement that was written by Rose Labossiere on behalf of the slain couple's daughter, Gabrielle.

"I am 4½ years old now. I once had a mommy and a daddy. They were killed by some bad men who came one night," the statement read in part.

"It was not safe to stay in this country anymore so I went far away. I have a new mommy and daddy now … some orphans are not so lucky."

During the trial, Crown prosecutors relied heavily on testimony from Steven Solomon, a former prison-mate and friend who said he was with Clarke when the shootings took place.

Court heard that Solomon led police to a shotgun, clothes and discarded shells that were allegedly used in the Labossiere shootings.

Defence lawyers had argued that Solomon was an unreliable witness who had lied to police several times.