‘Senseless and unexplained': Judge sentences Alberta man to life for 2022 shooting
PEACE RIVER — An Alberta man convicted last year of killing a man by shooting him in the back of the head has been sentenced to life in prison.
In November, a judge found Brenon Gray guilty of second-degree murder in the 2022 death of 35-year-old Romeo Flett at his home in Cadotte Lake, Alta., northeast of Peace River.
Court of King's Bench Justice Anna Loparco, in a written decision, says the gravity of the offence is significant and calls it a 'senseless and unexplained crime.'
A female witness told court the two men were talking and she heard Gray, who was armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, say to Flett: 'I should shoot you.'
Court heard their conversation turned to whether Flett knew anything about the death of a man named Keith, before witnesses heard a 'loud bang' and found Flett lying on the floor.
Gray fled the home and was the subject of a massive police search that ended two months after the shooting.
'For the foregoing reasons, I confirm Mr. Gray's sentence of imprisonment for life and include an order that he not be eligible to apply for parole until he has served a period of 12 years of imprisonment,' Loparco says in the decision.
Flett's mother, in a victim impact statement, said the day of her son's murder his oldest son phoned to tell him his first granddaughter was born, but he never got to meet her.
Cadotte Lake, which is part of Woodland Cree First Nation, is about 500 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2025.
The Canadian Press
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
17 minutes ago
- CTV News
Thief takes car on dangerous joyride after finding it unattended, unlocked and running in Vancouver
A Vancouver man says he's learned a valuable lesson after someone stole his car when he momentarily left it unattended and unlocked with the engine running. It happened on Abbott Street near Pender Street on Monday afternoon, when Michael Aresta parked and ducked into a store. 'It was very quick, right? Just a minute and a half. It's a lesson learned for sure, right? A few seconds, a minute, it's just not worth it, right? It could happen anywhere,' Aresta told CTV News. His car is equipped with a dash cam and a rear-facing camera. Video footage shows him on foot chasing his own car down Abbott for two blocks before he actually caught up to it near Expo Boulevard. 'Here's exactly when I catch up to her here. I bang on the window. She speeds off. As you can see here, just no regard,' he said, as he pointed at a computer monitor showing the video. That's when the thief began to drive erratically. She ran multiple red lights, narrowly missing pedestrians and cyclists. She swerved around another car to enter a bike lane – knocking down plastic barriers at either end before turning onto Main Street and speeding away. At one point, while exiting a gas station, the thief drove on the wrong side of the road, dodging oncoming traffic before jumping the median and returning to the right side of the road. 'I've had a chance to look at a video that is apparently related to this theft,' said Vancouver police spokesperson Const. Jason Doucette. 'We're still investigating at this point, but the driving was atrocious. It was dangerous. It was selfish. Needless to say, many people could have been hurt.' At 10 p.m. that evening, a South Vancouver resident called police to say an unoccupied vehicle had been parked in front of their home with the engine running for two hours. Attending police were able to confirm it was Aresta's stolen Kia Sol. According to Aresta, the woman who stole his car was briefly captured by his dash cam as she approached. Doucette confirms police have identified a person of interest. 'And now, we're slowing things down. Everyone's safe. We're trying to work backwards to ensure that we have the best evidence to give to Crown to support hopefully upcoming charges,' he said. Aresta is grateful nothing tragic happened. 'I watched that footage back and I was so surprised that nobody was hurt,' he said about the dangerous joyride.
CTV News
17 minutes ago
- CTV News
First Nations chief facing sexual assault charges
The chief of Tsuut'ina Nation is facing sexual assault charges in connection with two offences that took place in Edmonton more than 20 years ago.
CTV News
17 minutes ago
- CTV News
E-bike rider dies in hospital after collision with pickup truck in downtown Toronto
A Toronto police officer's uniform is seen during a press conference in Toronto on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston A cyclist who had been hit by a vehicle in downtown Toronto has died in hospital. Police confirmed to CP24 on Thursday night that the 28-year-old cyclist died on July 31. Investigators say the collision happened in the Church and Gerrard Street area on July 18. Police say the man was riding his e-bike west on Gerrard Street when he was hit by a 57-year-old man driving a pickup truck who was travelling south on Church Street. The e-bike rider was brought to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver of the pickup truck remained on the scene. Police say the investigation is ongoing.
