Man sentenced to life in prison for unprovoked Banff bar stabbing

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 15, 2025 5:16 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

The antheral convicted of killing 26-year-old Ethan Enns-Goneau at a Banff barroom 3 years agone has been handed a beingness sentence. 

John Christopher Arrizza volition person to service 12 years successful prison before helium tin question parole.

The fatal stabbing happened astatine the Dancing Sasquatch in the upland municipality connected Aug. 5, 2022.

Court heard the unfortunate arrived astatine the barroom astatine astir 1:30 a.m. and headed consecutive to the bath successful the basement.

Security footage shows that astir a infinitesimal later, the unfortunate was being pushed retired of the bath by 24-year-old Arrizza, who stabbed him galore times with a hunting knife. 

The onslaught was described arsenic unprovoked, and the men were chartless to each different anterior to the incident.

Bouncers stepped successful and Enns-Goneau collapsed connected the floor. He died soon aft from his injuries. An autopsy determined Enns-Goneau was stabbed 8 times earlier being shoved retired of the restroom.

During the trial, Arrizza's lawyer, Katherin Beyak, argued that her lawsuit was intoxicated astatine the clip of the stabbing. She asked the assemblage to acquit him connected the complaint of murder.

Arrizza was recovered blameworthy of second-degree execution pursuing a nine-hour assemblage deliberation connected Sept. 20, 2024.

'You didn't adjacent cognize him,' said victim's mother 

Twenty-six victim interaction statements were submitted to Justice Robert Hall.

Family, friends and colleagues of Ethan Enns-Goneau described their trauma and gave tearful recollections of their clip with Ethan, whom they affectionately telephone Sweet Baby E.

"I americium tortured by the cruel mode you were killed, and each the beingness you ne'er got to live. It is truthful unfair. You are gone everlastingly but determination is nary specified timeline for the antheral who killed you. He volition service immoderate clip but it volition ne'er beryllium capable successful my eyes. You didn't adjacent cognize him," said Gloria Enns-Goneau.

She told the tribunal that her lad was a kind, aged psyche who would spell retired of his mode to assistance anyone.

A connection from Lori Ann Peters, the victim's partner, was work successful tribunal by the Crown.

"Every hope, each dream, each plan and each extremity you had for a beingness with this idiosyncratic is ripped from your hands. How bash you statesman to articulate that? I've mislaid a batch of radical successful my life, friends, family, adjacent my ain father, but thing could person prepared maine for losing my beingness partner. I've cried much these 2 and a fractional years than anyone should successful a lifetime," said Peters.

Arrizza had 14 notation letters submitted connected his behalf. During the sentencing hearing, the Crown and defence projected a 12-year parole ineligibility period.

Justice Hall sentenced Arrizza to beingness imprisonment and agreed with the associated submission connected parole. He volition beryllium eligible for parole successful 12 years.

Arrizza besides received a weapons ban.