Man sentenced to life in prison for 2021 killing of rural Manitoba neighbour

Caitlyn Gowriluk · CBC News

· Posted: May 26, 2025 3:36 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

Clifford Joseph's household didn't explicit their grief done words astatine the sentencing of the antheral convicted of sidesplitting him astir 4 years agone — but they inactive showed up to tribunal Monday to ticker arsenic Eric Wildman was handed a beingness condemnation for Joseph's murder.

Wildman, present 38, sat successful the prisoner's container successful a Winnipeg courtroom wearing a bluish T-shirt and jeans, wrists and ankles shackled, arsenic Court of King's Bench Justice Richard Saull officially handed down his automatic beingness condemnation with nary accidental of parole for 25 years during a little proceeding Monday morning.

In February, a assemblage convicted Wildman of first-degree execution successful 40-year-old Joseph's June 2021 death.

Prosecutors argued during the weeks-long proceedings Wildman deed Joseph with his conveyance erstwhile helium caught the unfortunate trying to bargain from him connected oregon astir June 7, 2021, successful the colony of Stead, Man., astir 80 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, past took the injured antheral to different determination wherever helium executed him.

When Joseph's remains were yet recovered aft a lengthy search, helium had a breached limb and jaw. But prosecutors person said what killed him were 3 gunshots, including 1 to the backmost of the head.

Justice Saull said Monday whether the assemblage was persuaded that Joseph's sidesplitting was planned and deliberate, oregon that it was committed portion Wildman was forcibly confining him — 2 paths to first-degree execution prosecutors had argued for — it doesn't alteration the gravity of the facts proven astatine trial.

"The facts are horrific," Saull said, arsenic household members of Joseph and Wildman listened from the gallery. "And immoderate mentation of facts the assemblage accepted, it amounts to an execution — plain and simple." 

WATCH | Lawyers for antheral accused of sidesplitting neighbour reason Crown's lawsuit based connected speculation:

Crown lawyer Chris Vanderhooft said portion Joseph's household chose not to work unfortunate interaction statements astatine Wildman's sentencing for what helium called a "particularly gruesome and heinous" murder, they whitethorn aboriginal supply statements to the Parole Board of Canada.

Vanderhooft besides commented connected the information that instantly aft Joseph's death, Wildman was connected the tally and taxable to a manhunt for days successful 2021 earlier helium was recovered astatine a location adjacent Belleville, Ont., wherever helium was convicted of firing astatine officers erstwhile they attempted to enter.

"If ever determination was post-offence behaviour that would suggest somebody's alert of the behaviour and blameworthy of the charges, this is beauteous convincing," Vanderhooft said. "As if the execution weren't atrocious enough, helium could person killed the constabulary officers too, arsenic a effect of this."

Court heard Wildman has since been sentenced to 10 years successful situation for attempted execution successful that incident, and that the Ontario condemnation won't impact erstwhile he's eligible for parole connected the Manitoba condemnation — which volition beryllium 25 years from his June 2021 arrest.

Defence calls condemnation 'devastating'

Wildman's lawyer Martin Glazer, who antecedently said helium plans to record an entreaty successful the Manitoba case, called the beingness condemnation "devastating" for his client, who Glazer said has autism spectrum upset and a full-scale IQ of 72.

"His cognitive quality is astatine the threshold of impairment," Glazer said, adding a psychological appraisal found Wildman meets the explanation of a susceptible idiosyncratic who would beryllium eligible for enactment services successful Manitoba.

During closing arguments successful Wildman's execution trial, Glazer argued his lawsuit was wrongfully accused arsenic portion of an "absurd" mentation prosecutors came up with based connected a constabulary probe Glazer said was defined by passageway vision.

Glazer told jurors determination was nary grounds Wildman ever adjacent met Joseph. He said the Crown's mentation — that Wildman "suddenly becomes a cold-blooded murderer" who killed Joseph erstwhile the unfortunate tried to bargain what Glazer called "maybe a $50" trailer winch from his spot — doesn't marque immoderate sense.

But prosecutors said the timing successful the lawsuit was of paramount value — from however Wildman changed the hood connected his damaged conveyance soon aft prosecutors accidental Joseph was deed by a conveyance past killed, to however Wildman near the state erstwhile constabulary told him they were going to apprehension him for murder.

That proceedings was the 2nd Wildman faced successful Joseph's death, aft a mistrial was declared successful the archetypal 1 successful June 2023, when Glazer experienced a aesculapian issue and Wildman exercised his close not to proceed successful the proceedings without his lawyer.

Glazer said Monday Wildman was besides bullied successful school, and his intelligence study noted helium "would easy person been a people by others, fixed a past of societal accomplishment limitations, learning difficulties and important articulatory problems."

"Eric has suffered a large woody portion successful custody portion waiting for this trial, portion waiting for the result of this trial. And helium volition not person an casual clip successful prison, fixed his intelligence disabilities and constricted … coping ability," Glazer said.

"Hopefully helium volition beryllium provided with due supports portion helium serves his sentence."