Family of Winnipeg man killed by strangers address court in 'devastating' murder case

CBC

4 days ago

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The sisters of a man killed when a trio of strangers forced their way into his home almost two years ago wept in a Winnipeg courtroom Tuesday as prosecutors described how Cory Roulette's death shattered his family.
"This grief is like nothing I've experienced," Crown attorney Jennifer Comack read from a victim impact statement written by Roulette's sister, Stefanie Menjivar-Noriega, who cried quietly next to the lawyer as she read the woman's words.
"This has taken a part of me away."
Roulette, 38, was hit with a baton and shot in the chest in his home on Winnipeg's Furby Street in August 2023.
Menjivar-Noriega was among a group of Roulette's family members who gathered in court, some wearing T-shirts with a photo of his face on them, for the sentencing of the people convicted in his death.
Several wrote victim impact statements, which described the victim as a gentle, funny man and an old soul who loved country music.
The group included Roulette's two teenage children, who court heard are mourning the loss of their chance to develop a stronger relationship with him.
"That was taken away, and we'll never be able to have that," their victim impact statement said.
Prosecutor Comack told Court of King's Bench Justice Sadie Bond the family's loss is "permanent and unrelenting" and said the hole caused by Roulette's death "has deeply impacted all of their lives and will continue to impact their futures."
"What happened to Cory Roulette was devastating, inexcusable and 100 per cent avoidable," Comack said.
'I'm going to … shoot the place up'
Court heard the events that culminated in Roulette's death were sparked by an argument with an 11-year-old boy.
Ramona Harper, one of three co-accused in the killing, was walking with another person outside Roulette's building on the night of Aug. 25, 2023, when Harper started kicking over garbage cans in the back alley.
An 11-year-old boy who was visiting Roulette at the time confronted Harper as he stood on Roulette's balcony. The two started yelling at each other, and the boy threatened to shoot Harper, who is now 23, an agreed statement of facts said.
Harper then left, saying, "I'm going to get my brothers and shoot the place up," the court document said. Soon after, Harper returned with their brother Raoul Harper, who had a collapsible baton, and their cousin Kyle Harper, who had a loaded, sawed-off rifle.
Shortly after midnight, the group went to the second floor of Roulette's building and forced open the door of his suite. Raoul Harper, now 21, hit Roulette several times with the baton — including at least once in the face — and Kyle Harper, now 26, shot him in the chest, the agreed statement of facts said.
Roulette was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving. His cause of death was the gunshot wound to his chest, the court document said.
Vanessa Roulette said she's remembering the victim as her baby brother who was always joking around, but was always there when you needed him.
"Cory had that shoulder you could lean on. You didn't even have to be a sibling. You could've just been his friend and someone off the street," she told CBC News in an interview outside court Tuesday.
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Kyle Harper pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the case for pulling the trigger, and faces an automatic life sentence with no parole eligibility for at least 10 years. However, prosecutors and defence lawyers jointly recommended he should wait 12 years before being allowed to apply for parole.
Prosecutors asked for Raoul and Ramona Harper, who both pleaded guilty to manslaughter, to be sentenced to eight years in prison for their roles in Roulette's killing. Their lawyers asked for slightly lower sentences of five and between five and six years.
When given the chance to speak in court Tuesday, all three accused expressed remorse for their actions and took responsibility for their roles in Roulette's death.
"I can't imagine what it must feel like to lose a family member like that," Ramona Harper said. "I am so sorry. And I know nothing I can say or do will make up for what happened, but that won't stop me from trying every day."
Meanwhile, Roulette's sister Vanessa said she doesn't wish ill on the three convicted in her brother's death.
"They're going to get judged from the guy upstairs. Not from me. Not from my family. You know, Creator has a journey for each of us," she said.
Justice Bond reserved her sentencing decision to a later date.