Tom Balka

The offender was convicted of the first-degree murder of one young woman and the manslaughter of another.

Both victims were vulnerable and their bodies were dismembered and disposed of in a callous manner.

The court imposed the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment with no parole eligibility for 25 years for the murder.

For the manslaughter, the court found extreme aggravating factors, including the complete desecration of the victim's body, and imposed a sentence of 18 years imprisonment to be served concurrently.

The accused was charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

The Crown sought to tender two lengthy videotaped statements given by the accused to police.

A voir dire was held to determine the voluntariness of the statements under the common law confessions rule.

The court analyzed the police conduct, including the use of emotional appeals, discussions of potential deals, and the conditions of the interviews.

The court found that the police did not use oppressive circumstances, impermissible trickery, or prohibited inducements (quid pro quo) that overbore the accused's will.

Both statements were ruled voluntary beyond a reasonable doubt and admissible at trial.