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Court

Eight-year sentence given in one manslaughter case, sentencing date set in another

Jun 30, 2023 | 6:00 AM

Second accused charged with murder sentenced on manslaughter charge

Alberta Justice says a second accused charged after the 2019 death of a Grande Prairie man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter.

Adam Pearson was given an eight-year jail sentence June 19 in Grande Prairie court.

He and another man, Benjamin Pearson, were charged after the October 2019 death of 28-year-old Cody Michaloski at a home located in an apartment building on Poplar Drive.

Benjamin Pearson of Kelowna was given a 10-year jail sentence in November of 2021 after pleading guilty to a charge of manslaughter/use of a firearm. He was arrested in Kelowna on May 27, 2020.

A Canada-wide warrant was issued for Adam Pearson the day after Benjamin was arrested.

Adam was located and arrested by the FBI in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on July 26, 2021, after a request from Canadian authorities. He was returned to Canada in February of 2022.

Sentencing date set for accused in Peace River manslaughter case

Alberta Justice says a sentencing date of September 5 has been set for a Grande Prairie woman convicted of three charges in connection with the death of a man near Peace River five years ago.

Paige Eileen Burkinshaw had been found guilty of charges of manslaughter /use of a firearm, robbery with a firearm, and attempt or accessory after an offence in April 2023 in Peace River court.

She was one of several people charged after the May 17, 2017, death of 20-year-old Lawrence Robert Butt.

His body was found in a burned-out trailer along Reno Road East.

In December 2022, Kyle Dubroy-Clement was given a 78-month jail sentence after being found guilty of robbery with violence, accessory to murder, and break and enter – not a dwelling house. He was found not guilty of a manslaughter charge.

In 2019, Blake Murphy of Grande Prairie was given a life sentence with no chance of parole for ten years after pleading guilty to a charge of second-degree murder.

Two other people had previously pleaded guilty to accessory charges and were handed short jail sentences.