Robert James Joseph Thomas, 29, was sentenced on Friday to life with no chance of parole for 18 years for the second-degree murder of Megan Gallagher.
He was originally charged with first-degree murder, but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence on Oct. 7.
Gallagher’s family members wept and embraced each other in a Saskatoon courtroom Friday as they watched the sentencing. She was 30 when she was reported missing in 2020.
Four others will soon stand trial for their alleged involvement in Gallagher’s death.
Brian Gallagher, her father, paused when asked if he thought justice had been served.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to answer that,” he said. “The justice is just a part of a society that we live in. The young man is going to go to be incarcerated for a long time, and there are no winners in this.”
Brian Gallagher said nothing would bring his daughter Megan Gallagher back, but hearing the judge give that sentence was an acknowledgment of her murder. (Aishwarya Dudha/CBC News)
While handing down the sentence, Justice Daryl Labach said Thomas had “forsaken his ability to walk free.” He called the killing “callous and unfathomable.”
He told Gallagher’s family that though the path may be long, he hoped they could now be one step closer to the end of it.
‘They keep us from sleeping at night’
Brian Gallagher said nothing will bring his daughter back, but hearing the judge hand out the sentence was an acknowledgement of her murder.
“The things that we can’t say because of the publication ban … we’ve heard them and they hurt us deeply. They keep us from sleeping at night. When we close our eyes, we see the things that possibly happened,” he said.
Labach issued a publication ban last month on the proceedings, including the case details, sentencing arguments and victim impact statements. He said it was to ensure a fair trial for the other accused whose trials have not begun.
WATCH | Robert Thomas has been sentenced to life:
Thomas sat in the prisoner’s box wearing an orange sweatshirt. His supporters wept as the sentencing was announced. Upon release, he will face several conditions, including a ban on owning weapons and a requirement to provide a DNA sample for the national database.
Gallagher’s family and friends read out 11 victim impact statements, with some addressing Thomas directly. The contents of those statements are also protected by the publication ban.
9 others have faced variety of charges
Gallagher, a 30-year-old mother, went missing over four years ago in Saskatoon. She was last seen alive leaving her friend’s house on Sept. 19, 2020. Two years later, her body was found in the South Saskatchewan River.
Gallagher’s family had spent the intervening years searching for her and hosting annual walks to raise awareness about her disappearance.
In total, nine people have faced a variety of charges in connection with Gallagher’s death:
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Summer-Sky Henry, Roderick Sutherland and Cheyann Peeteetuce are all charged with first-degree murder.
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Thomas Sutherland is charged with manslaughter.
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Ernest Vernon Whitehead, 41, has been sentenced to 739 days in jail on a charge of indignity to human remains.
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Jessica Badger [Sutherland], 44, was given a conditional sentence order of two years less a day on the same charge, which means she serves it in the community. After that, she will be on probation for 18 months.
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John Wayne Sanderson was sentenced to 1,096 days on the same charge, minus 327 days for pre-sentence custody.
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Robin John was charged with unlawful confinement and aggravated assault, but the charge was stayed last fall.