Bus-stop killing should carry first-degree murder charge

- July 7th, 2010

Apparently there was some kind of connection after all between Jheruel Managhaya, 24, and the victim Darren Walsh he’s accused of shooting in broad-daylight at a Main Street bus stop last weekend.
Police initially reported there was no indication the two knew each other and described the incident as a “random” killing.
My question now is, if the alleged killer knew his victim, why isn’t he being charged with first-degree murder?
In order to be convicted of first-degree murder in a case like this, court must be convinced the homicide was planned and deliberate.
Managhaya has been charged instead with second-degree murder. That means he’s being accused of deliberately killing Walsh, although not in a planned way.
That sounds wrong.
If he knew who Walsh was and got off a bus, crossed the street and walked right up to his victim and shot him, that definitely sounds planned to me.
In which case, he should be charged with first-degree murder which, if convicted, would ensure the offender gets a life sentence with no eligibility for parole for 25 years.
Second-degree murder also carries a life sentence. But the offender can be eligible for parole in as little as 10 years if a judge so decrees.

14 comments

  1. Jeff says:

    It will likely be less than 10 years behind bars after the plea bargaining and due to the automatic 2/3 statutory release. We have to hear the ridiculous reasons this “wayward soul” who had a terrible upbringing or addiction or was intoxicated and didn’t know what he was doing at the time. Very hard to prove planning without either concrete evidence or confession, which is probably why the reduced charge. We pretty much know the scales of injustice are already tipped in the killer’s favor, no matter the judge. I’d be very surprised if he gets a maximum sentence. Hell, Karla Homolka only got 12 years behind bars as part of her plea deal. Sorry if I don’t have as much faith in our “criminal” justice system as others. My heart goes out to Darren Walsh’s family and friends.

  2. daisydukers says:

    He should suffer the same fate as his victim….

    Death by firing squad on the corner of portage and main seems appropriate….

    Of course brittany will probably say he just needs some TLC and No jailtime cause he is just misunderstood….

  3. Grant says:

    Come on Tom, it’ll be dropped down to manslaughter. The defence will take the judge and crown out for steak and lobster, and instantly the charge will be reduced. Don’t forget this is Canada.

  4. Don says:

    Remember that movie by the great thespian Sly Stalone called Judge Dread. That’s how we should handle cases like this. No housing him for 25 years, with countless appeals and millions of dollars wasted. Judge, jury and executioner all at once. Deliberate acts like this need finite repercussions!

  5. not conned says:

    Of course this should be 1st degree murder. He was carrying a gun for some purpose wasn’t he? Is it just coincidence that he ran into someone he knew and happened to kill him with that gun he was carrying? I can’t see anything coincidental about that!

  6. Spider says:

    I understand the outrage expressed here, but we simply don’t have enough information to ascertain the reasons behind this gruesome killing. Do we really want to live in the Wild West or gangland?

    We need to push for social justice, not vengeance. Otherwise, we risk becoming even more like Detroit or Mexico–nobody but outlaws want to live in that kind of environment.

    Tom is ‘jumping the gun.’

  7. Grant says:

    Just sentences for crimes isn’t Mexico law, it’s justice. Spider, most Canadians are tired of the 2 for 1 sale of our safety. The defence buying off the crowns and judges with lunchs and perks. We do need to wait to see if there was a planned murder here, but it sure looks like it was planned. Social justice went the way of the “model t”, the criminals out there now are sociopaths and need to be confined for LIFE.
    Social justice is for the couples that kill one or the other in a fit of anger or drunken stupidity. Not for morons who get on public transport with loaded guns.
    If the government listened to the people…use of a weapon in a criminal offence would get a person a mandatory sentence with the sentence for the crime added on. eg: 10 years for use of a weapon plus 25 years for murder equals 35 years without parole. That is social justice!

  8. Rob F says:

    Did someone say jumping the gun? Vengeance is not the answer? Tell that to the families of the victims when there is no justice to be had. You know, it’s easy for those on the outside to have compassion for the wicked simply because they have never felt the true reality of emotional torment. Dealing with the natural death of a loved one is a hell of a lot easier than dealing with the murder of one. Especially when justice fails so commonly where it is suppose to protect us and give us comfort. You want compassion fine but when something terrible befalls your loved one and justice is neither swift or recognizable, I garauntee you’ll see it quite differently.

  9. Bill says:

    What bothers me with our so-called ‘JUSTICE SYSTEM’ is that a ‘LIFE’ sentence doesn’t mean ‘LIFE’. Why don’t they call a spade a spade and say it is an indefinite time served with chance of parole today or yesterday – as it seems to often happen. And this doesn’t even take into account making some idiotic ‘plea bargaining’ deal that allows scum like our Karla to go free and to have lived like a Movie Star while in prison. I wish our politicians and judges would come down from that Cloud 9 they seem to live in.

  10. Bill says:

    And Spider – what sort of information do you feel would absolve the shooter from blame?

  11. Spider says:

    Social justice takes into account the impact of crime on the victim, his/her family & the surrounding community. It also seeks to change environments that foster crime. The Canadian justice system seldom does these things, nor does it adequately punish criminals or make them pay for their crimes (hard labour, restitution via organ/tissue donation, etc.).

    We are stuck with a justice system that mitigates crimes by absolving criminals of guilt and enabling them to repeatedly inflict themselves on society. That won’t change until society compels Ottawa to make changes.

    As for the shooter, he could end up eating timbits with Vince Li in Selkirk in a couple of months for all we know; the shooter’s state of mind is the determining factor for sentencing until our appointed judges say otherwise:(

  12. George A says:

    Willy and Waylon say it best. Hang em from the tallest tree and order a beer for my horse and whiskey for me. It looks premeditated to me and that means first degree. The only way it should be second is if this low life shot him while the two fothem where fighting over who was going to keep the gun. Oh, wait a minute that excuse has already been used. I hate to admit it but Grant is probably more right about the outcome then any of us.

  13. Bonnie Thompson says:

    I vote for first degree murder! He was carrying the gun on his person, spotted the victim while he was still on a bus and got off when he noticed the victim. Crosses the street to where the victim was and shot to kill.
    What reason does he have for walking around with a gun anyway? Lock him up and throw away the key…or bring back the death penalty for these types of creeps, then citizens will once again believe in justice for all..this type has no place in society.

  14. Tim says:

    Does anyone know the out come of the case

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