A judge sentenced a Winnipeg man Tuesday afternoon to life in prison with no possibility of parole for at least 15 years for murdering a young, Indigenous woman he’d met only hours earlier.
Brett Overby, 32, admitted during his trial this past spring to killing Christine Wood, 21, in the basement of his Burrows Avenue home in August 2016 and burying her body in a field east of Dugald, Man.
A jury found Overby guilty of second-degree murder in May after he testified Wood came at him with a knife and that he “blacked out”, “snapped”, and doesn’t remember how Wood died.
“Mr. Overby has committed a brutal and relentless murder of a younger and vulnerable woman that he had just met and had intimate relations with,” Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Chris Martin told court. “I have rejected his trial testimony about what led to the killing and his inability to remember what happened in the critical moments.”
Wood’s friends and family filled a Winnipeg courtroom for the sentencing. Afterwards, her father George told reporters his family is thankful for the sentence, but it only goes so far.
“We are pleased to see our daughter’s killer brought to justice,” said George. “Our daughter was a beautiful, young Indigenous girl.”
“If there was something I could say to my daughter right now – I miss you, I wish this didn’t happen to you.”
Prosecutors argued Overby should have to serve 17 years of his mandatory life sentence before he becomes eligible for parole for the “violent murder” of Wood.
She died of extensive sharp and blunt-force trauma.
“Ms. Wood was vulnerable,” Crown attorney Chantal Boutin told court. “The violence itself is extreme and gratuitous, best described as overkill while Mr. Overby suffered no injuries.”
Overby’s lawyers were seeking a period of parole ineligibility of no more than 12 years. They told court he’s had the continued support of his family and employer, no violent past and that many of the facts in the trial came out due to his testimony.
The minimum penalty for second-degree murder is life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years and a maximum of 25 years.
Wood grew up in Bunibonibee Cree Nation and moved to Winnipeg to pursue a post-secondary education.
She was last seen alive Aug. 19, 2016. Her body was discovered 10 months after her disappearance.
Boutin told court Wood and Overby arranged a meeting the night of her disappearance through the online dating website Plenty Of Fish, went for drinks and then ended up at Overby’s place where Wood was “slaughtered.”
Melinda Wood, who left her home community with her husband George to search for their daughter, told court through a victim impact statement read by Boutin that the pain she experienced got worse from the time Christine disappeared to when her body was found.
“I cried and cried for you, Christine, the only daughter I had,” Wood said in her victim impact statement. “Oh my baby girl, I can’t believe how brutally you were murdered and how you were dumped into a shallow grave like you were garbage.”
Boutin argued hiding Wood’s body, lying about her whereabouts and the violence involved are aggravating factors in Overby’s crime, factors which Martin told court he considered in setting Overby’s sentence.
Boutin told court a pre-sentence Gladue report, ordered for Overby due to his family’s Indigenous background, found they have a deep connection with the community of Berens River. Court heard Overby identifies as an Indigenous man and has treaty status with Berens River First Nation.
Under the Criminal Code, judges are required to consider factors such as colonization, the residential school system and child welfare system when sentencing an Indigenous offender.
Boutin argued the report shows the effects of colonization have not directly impacted Overby and therefore Gladue factors should not affect his moral blameworthiness for the crime.
Martin reviewed the Gladue report and told court Overby is “unlike any other Aboriginal offender I can recall sentencing for homicide.”
He found Overby’s upbringing was normal and had no significant impact on his moral blameworthiness in the crime.
Overby spoke during the sentencing, saying in part, “I really do feel terrible for what happened. I never meant for any of this to happen.”
Martin praised Wood’s family for their remarkable courage during the search for Christine and throughout the trial.
“The efforts that you put in are such a display of love and character.”
While Martin set Overby’s sentence he noted it’s ultimately up to the Parole Board of Canada to determine when or if he should ever receive parole.
