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By Curtis Galbraith
Court

One of five people charged after murder of Clairmont man sentenced on manslaughter charge

Jul 7, 2022 | 5:29 PM

One of the people charged after the murder of a 19-year-old Clairmont man has pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter.

Justin John Bishop had originally been charged with murder after the death of Kyler Commandeur.

Bishop was given a 66-month sentence Thursday in Grande Prairie Court of Queen’s Bench. He was given 32.5 months credit for time already spent in custody, meaning he has 33.5 months left to serve.

More than a dozen family members and supporters of Commandeur’s attended the sentencing. Sixteen people submitted victim impact statements, five of which were read out in court.

An agreed statement of facts filed with the court says that late in the evening of June 10, 2020, five people left a house in Clairmont in Commandeur’s vehicle, saying they were dropping off two kids at a Grande Prairie hotel. Bishop and Commandeur stayed behind.

When they did not return by the early hours of June 11, Commandeur started texting two of the people then called 911 and reported his truck stolen.

The same two people later got hold of Commandeur’s phone and were angry about the 911 call and some pictures on said phone.

Bishop then saw Commandeur in a bathroom with tape over his nose and mouth and also saw a man hit Kyler. Bishop said to leave him alone and another person said to untie him.

Later, Bishop, Commandeur, and another man were in Commandeur’s truck, with Bishop driving, going to a GPS location given by the man who Bishop said earlier struck Commandeur.

At around 8 a.m. June 11, 2020, the truck stopped along the side of Highway 667 near Highway 2. Commandeur got out. Shortly after, the third man got out and shot Commandeur several times in the head and upper torso.

The agreed statement of facts says Bishop was ordered to get rid of Commandeur’s truck but instead drove around taking methamphetamine. He then went to a Grande Prairie hotel room registered to the same person who said earlier to untie Commandeur and fell asleep. The truck was seized by RCMP before it was cleaned or destroyed.

Two other men, Simon De Lima and Cody Letourneau, have murder trials set for early 2023.

Melissa Aletha Healey is due to be sentenced December 1, 2022 after being found guilty on a charge of unlawful confinement.

A stay of proceedings is in place against Krista Marie Healey. She had been charged with accessory after the fact to murder.

by Curtis Galbraith