WINNIPEG — A man who admitted to killing four women in Winnipeg but claimed he was too mentally ill to be held responsible has been found guilty of first-degree murder. Defence lawyers had argued Jeremy Skibicki was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the slayings in 2022 and should be found not criminally responsible and detained in a hospital. Court of King's Bench Justice Glenn Joyal said Thursday he agreed with the psychiatrist who testified for the Crown.
The judge said Skibicki didn't have a mental disorder that impacted his ability to know that the disturbing killings were morally wrong. People in the packed courtroom cheered and clapped when the verdict came down. A sacred fire was lit outside the courthouse, where supporters continued with cheers.
Jorden Myran, a sister of one of Skibicki's victims, Marcedes Myran, said she held back tears when the judge delivered the decision. "I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders," she said outside court. "Justice was served today.
" A first-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years. A date for a sentencing hearing, where the families of the victims can read statements, will be set for a later date. Jeremy Contois, a brother of victim Rebecca Contois, said he was filled with mixed emotions after the verdict.
"We hope that it brings closure. It's been a difficult two years." The judge said the "shocking and unsettling" case is emblematic of the issue o.
