Hurley Gets Life Sentence For Naistus Murder

Hurley Gets Life Sentence For Naistus Murder

Thursday, October 04, 2007 at 17:02

 

 

An Alberta man has been given a life sentence with no chance of parole for 13 years for killing an Onion Lake woman in a Lloydminster hotel room two years ago.

 

44-year-old Gordon Dwight Hurley’s prison sentence came down this afternoon — one day after he was found guilty of second-degree murder by a six-man, six-woman jury in Battleford Court of Queen’s Bench.

 

The guilty verdict came down a day after the two-year anniversary of Jarita Naistus’ death.

 

Family members of the Onion Lake woman gasped and cried when they heard the verdict yesterday.

 

Hurley dropped his head and began shaking it in disbelief as members of Naistus family comforted each other.

 

Court heard that Naistus was beaten and then strangled to death with a coat hanger in her Lloydminster hotel room in October 2005.

 

Naistus’ mother, Connie Dillon, says the anniversary of her daughter’s death was hard, but her mood brightened when she heard the verdict come down.

 

Bill Roe, Hurley’s lawyer, says his client is trying to cope with the verdict as much as can be expected.

 

Roe also says Hurley will be appealing his conviction.

 

A conviction of second-degree murder charge carries with it an automatic life sentence in prison.

 

The jury recommended Hurley should serve 15 years before being eligible for parole.