Kyla LaPointe's killer sentenced, but prison term not long enough, family says

Shane Magee · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 13, 2025 2:32 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Nicole Blanchard voiced disappointment with the 10-year situation condemnation imposed Thursday connected the antheral who admits sidesplitting her 32-year-old daughter.

Blanchard said she would person preferred a proceedings connected the second-degree execution complaint Dylan Jackson primitively faced. The Doaktown pleaded blameworthy and was sentenced connected the lesser complaint of manslaughter. 

Jackson, 30, admitted helium stabbed LaPointe successful the backmost and near her bleeding connected a Moncton thoroughfare connected July 11, 2023.

"Of people I'm not happy," Blanchard told reporters. "Even if it had been 25 years, it wouldn't person been capable to bring my girl back. I'm precise disappointed successful the justness system."

Court of King's Bench Justice Jean-Paul Ouellette imposed the condemnation jointly recommended by the Crown authoritative and Jackson's defence lawyer. The justice noted the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled there's a high threshold to beryllium met to deviate from such recommendations.

Manslaughter has nary minimum condemnation arsenic it can use successful circumstances ranging from mishap to adjacent murder. The justice said LaPointe's unprovoked killing, with a weapon utilized to stab her successful the back, brought Jackson's lawsuit person to murder.

The justice said the tribunal indispensable enforce a condemnation that is akin to those issued successful different cases with akin circumstances, with 10 years falling wrong that range, though immoderate sentences have been somewhat higher. 

"I person reviewed the lawsuit instrumentality noted supra that sets the precocious range, which would person been much due had it not been a associated submission by counsel," Ouellette said.

He said mitigating factors included Jackson's blameworthy plea, property and Indigenous inheritance with a traumatic upbringing that saw him commencement to usage meth and fentanyl arsenic a teenager. Jackson was precocious and drinking astatine the clip of LaPointe's death, the justice said. 

Ultimately, the justice said helium agreed with the recommended 10-year sentence. The word volition beryllium reduced by 2½ years arsenic recognition for clip Jackson has already spent successful custody since his apprehension moments aft LaPointe was killed. 

The justice said Jackson had a transgression grounds dating backmost to 2015 that included charges of assault, interruption and enter, breaching probation, utilizing a firearm and kidnapping. 

It's a grounds that Blanchard said added to her choler successful however the lawsuit was handled. 

"I truly thought contiguous erstwhile they work retired however unsafe an offender helium is, with his inheritance with kidnapping and convulsive crimes, that helium would person got a batch much than that," she told reporters. 

On Tuesday, Ouellette heard unfortunate interaction statements from LaPointe's friends and family, including 1 of her 4 children. The justice said Thursday that helium was grateful to perceive from them, saying they had expressed grief, outage and loss. 

Ouellette recounted the facts Jackson admits astir what led to LaPointe's death. 

Jackson and LaPointe were portion of a radical of 5 that travelled from Fredericton to Moncton to bargain fentanyl. The radical had pooled $1,400 for the fentanyl.

LaPointe and her boyfriend, Brody Leblanc, went to the cause dealer's flat portion Jackson and Megan Marten waited successful a car with different man. The transaction took longer than expected, and LaPointe near and wandered astir Moncton and Dieppe, the justice said.

Eventually, she walked past the car connected Belleview Avenue wherever the 3 others were waiting. What followed was captured connected video. Jackson ran up down her, stabbed her immediately, past went backmost to the car.

Marten walked up to LaPointe, lasting beside her for astir 2 minutes arsenic she bled connected the street. The justice said Marten seemed to beryllium looking for wealth oregon drugs. Neither Jackson nor Marten provided attraction oregon called for assistance arsenic LaPointe bled. A neighbour called 911. 

Marten drove the car up to LaPointe's body, Jackson retrieved the knife, and the 3 fled the scene. RCMP stopped the car moments later. 

All 3 were charged with second-degree murder. The Crown dropped the complaint against the 3rd man, Jackson pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter, and Marten precocious pleaded blameworthy to accessory aft the fact. A sentencing proceeding for Marten is scheduled for April 10.

About a twelve friends and household of LaPointe were successful the courtroom assemblage for the sentencing, galore wearing purple which Blanchard noted was LaPointe's favourite colour. Blanchard said LaPointe was well-loved. 

Several of those who work unfortunate interaction statements earlier successful the week were candid astir LaPointe's conflict with drugs. 

"Just due to the fact that immoderate household subordinate person struggles doesn't mean they're immoderate little to the family," Blanchard said to reporters. 

There were much sheriffs successful the courtroom than normal, with respective sitting astir Jackson's family. Several of the radical sitting with LaPointe's household shouted words arsenic Jackson was led retired of the tribunal and toward his family. 

The sheriffs instantly escorted his household retired of the courtroom aft Ouellete's decision, and past extracurricular arsenic they waited for a taxi.

Jackson was ordered to person nary nonstop oregon indirect interaction with LaPointe's household portion serving his sentence.