Kirk Keeping to serve 16 years before possibility of parole for murder of Chantel John

Kirk Keeping, who has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Conne River woman Chantel Johnin January 2019, must serve 16 years before he will be eligible for parole, following a Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court ruling on Thursday morning.

Keeping pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and second-degree murder of John in April.He also pleaded guilty to uttering threats and two breaches of probation.

In addition to the life sentence, Keeping was sentenced to two years for assault with a weapon, one year apiece for uttering threats and a breach of undertaking, and 60 days for breach of probation. The sentences are concurrent.

John, 28, a member of the Miawpukek First Nation, was murdered inConne River in 2019.

According to an agreed statement of facts submitted to the court in April, Keeping arrived at the house of one of John's relatives, saying he wanted to return some of her things after they'd broken up. He instead attacked her outside with a knife.

John ran into the home and Keeping followed. Heattacked another family member with the knife and hit John in the back of the head with it. He also threatened another family member who confronted him. John managed to escape to the house of a neighbour, who tried to stop the bleeding, but by the time paramedics arrived, she had died.

Police found Keeping, who was bleeding with stab wounds after trying to take his own life, in his car near Milltown, and he was taken to hospital.

Keeping'scourt case was delayed several times.

He was first slated to stand trial for the first degree murder of John in May 2021 but fired his legal aid lawyers, Derek Ford and Derek Hogan, minutes before the start of jury selection.

He has remained in custody since 2019.

Ruling brings mixed feelings of closure, family says

Members of John's family have attended each stage of the court process.Veronica McDonald, John's aunt, said thathasled to stress and sleepless nights, and she has mixed emotions following a resolution.

"Still we cannot get Chantel back.She's gone, so it's really a lot of different emotions right now," McDonald said outside the courtroom Thursday.

WATCH | Chantel John's aunt speaks after decision that Kirk Keeping won't be eligible for parole for 16 years:

Chantel Johns family say they have some closure but still think of her last moments before murder

24 days ago

Duration 1:30

Veronica McDonald says there is some relief following the decision that Kirk Keeping must serve 16 years before being eligible for parole. Keeping killed Chantel John, a member of the Miawpukek First Nation, in 2019. McDonald, Johns aunt, tells the CBCs Troy Turner the last few years and the violent way her life ended have been excruciatingly hard on the family.

"It's sort of a closure now that, you know, we don't have to follow this and not be reminded of it each day.She'll always live on in our memories, but at least now we know he willserve his time and hope that he'll never be able to hurt anyone else again."

Mi'sel Joe, the formeradministrativechief of MiawpukekFirst Nation, told reporters the band remains devastated by her death years later. Hesaid John felt like part of his family.

"I've watched the anguish from the community side of it," said Joe, a spiritual leader of the community.

"There will never be closure, because a young girl lost her life. And a mother lost her son, in a way. So there was a mixture of many emotions for me today."

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