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Holding an eagle feather and a photo of her daughter, the mother of Billie Johnson confronted her child’s killer in an Edmonton courtroom Friday, asking him why he chose to abandon her body instead of seeking help.
Kenneth Courtorielle, 38, was sentenced to 13 years in prison Friday for the manslaughter of Billie Johnson, whose bones were found three years ago in a field near Bon Accord.
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Among those who spoke about the impact of Johnson’s disappearance and death was Marless Johnson, Billie’s mother.
“You didn’t break me because I was determined to find my baby,” she told Courtorielle, who sat unshaven and unkempt in the prisoner’s box. “I was not going to leave her where you left her. I was determined to bring my baby home because I loved her so much, I couldn’t leave her out there.”
“I would talk to her spirit and tell her ‘mommy’s coming for you, don’t worry.’”
Johnson — a mother of two from Samson Cree Nation — was last seen at Courtorielle’s central Edmonton apartment on Christmas Eve in 2020. The two rekindled an on-again, off-again relationship prior to her death. Courtorielle was on parole at the time for a sex offence but had not reported the relationship to his parole officer.
Johnson and Courtorielle spent Christmas Eve day shopping, relaxing and visiting family. In the afternoon, Johnson left to see her mother while Courtorielle visited family on Enoch Cree Nation.
The family was at a skating rink in Stony Plain when Courtorielle’s uncle overheard him speaking with an unidentified woman, likely Johnson, on his cell.
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“The accused seemed to get mad and raised his voice,” Court of King’s Bench Justice Stephen Hillier summarized. Courtorielle told the caller “he did not like drinking” and left soon after.
When Courtorielle called his uncle that evening, he seemed confused and disoriented. He showed up Christmas morning complaining of a sore hand. Johnson was reported missing a few days later. Her remains — a skull, jawbone and three arm bones — went undiscovered until April 21, 2021, when searchers found them in a forest 37 kilometres north of Edmonton.
In court, Courtorielle claimed Johnson overdosed in his apartment after using cocaine. He pleaded guilty to offering an indignity to her remains but maintained he did not kill her. He claimed he decided to dump her body rather than calling for help because he was an Indigenous man with a criminal record and feared no one would believe him.
Hillier rejected that explanation, finding Courtrielle killed Johnson by striking her at least once in the face.
Crown prosecutor Jim Stewart asked the court to impose a 15-year sentence, including 12 years for manslaughter and 2.5 years for the indignity to Johnson’s body.
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Stewart said Courtorielle made a “concerted effort” to deprive the courts and Johnson’s loved ones of evidence. Forensic investigators who searched his apartment found he “thoroughly” cleaned blood stains from multiple areas in the suite. A small spatter of blood was found high on the bedroom wall, suggesting Courtorielle struck her with enough force to send blood flying. A forensic anthropologist who examined Johnson’s bones found her nose had been broken and her tooth damaged.
Courtorielle also attempted to mislead police — crying and even calling out to her when investigators were just within earshot.
“He’s suggesting police ‘take a closer look at Billie Johnson’s mother, maybe she did it.’ So he’s destroying evidence, telling lies, doing everything he can to avoid responsibility,” Stewart said.
Defence lawyer Stephen Brophy asked for a 10.5-year sentence. He said some of his client’s family members — who came from Driftpile First Nation — were forced to attend residential schools, which contributed to abuse Courtorielle suffered as a child. No family members were willing to participate in Courtorielle’s Gladue report, the author of which asked to have their name removed for unspecified safety reasons.
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Brophy said the court needs to balance the fact Courtorielle, as an Indigenous person, suffered from “intergenerational” trauma with the fact Johnson was also Indigenous.
Hillier decided 13 years was an appropriate sentence that denounced Courtorielle’s crimes, took into account past sentences for similar cases and accounted for aggravating and mitigating factors.
Courtorielle spent most of Friday’s hearing reading along with the victim impact statements. Court heard he was assaulted in remand, causing partial vision loss in one eye.
Offered a chance to address the court, he said: “I am sorry. That’s it.”
As he was led away, Marless Johnson shouted and swore at Courtorielle, prompting sheriffs to intervene.
Courtorielle was awarded 33 months’ credit for time in pretrial custody.
A member of Samson Cree Nation who gave a community impact statement said the nation is aware of 33 women and 48 men from the nation who have gone missing or died by homicide.
jwakefield@postmedia.com
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