Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Did The Greyhound Cannibal Actually Commit 1st Degree Murder, Not 2nd?

News has emerged that Vince Li spent nearly an hour chatting up the Tim McLean’s co-worker during their ride through western Manitoba, the Winnipeg.

Li sat in the front of the bus next to a woman known only as Stacy. They were seen chatting and smoking together on a rest stop.

When the bus trip resumed, Li suddenly moved to the back of the bus and sat beside McLean, who was listening to his headphones and apparently asleep.

McLean's family and friends don't believe Li's change-of-seating was a coincidence. And they question why he was charged with second-degree murder and not first-degree murder, which indicates planning and premeditation.

"I have this unbelievably strong feeling that him sitting beside Stacy had something to do with this," McLean's former girlfriend, Alexandra Storey.

McLean’s family wants to talk to Stacey, but have no knowledge of her last name.

Storey received a series of text message from McLean mentioning that some people were doing ecstasy on the bus.

Medical experts say ecstasy and a pre-existing mental condition could trigger a violent episode.

The Gazette

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

In Canada 1st degree murder is reserved for the killing of law enforsement.

donchais said...

Canadian Code:

The Criminal Code defines murder as the death of someone where the killer meant to cause the death or meant to cause them bodily harm that was likely to result in their death. There are two degrees of murder:

First-degree murder is when the killing is "planned and deliberate". In other words, where the murder was premeditated. However, some killings that aren't premeditated are still automatically first-degree, such as the killing of a police officer or when the killing takes place during the commission of a hijacking, kidnapping or sexual assault. Those convicted of first-degree murder receive an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Second-degree murder is defined in the Code as all murders that are not first-degree but where the killing was still intentional. Generally speaking, it applies to those murders that take place in the "heat of the moment" and weren't planned in advance. For example, a husband who had no plans to kills his wife but, once they start fighting, means to kill her, is guilty of second-degree murder. Like with first-degree, those convicted of second-degree receive an automatic life sentence. However, the judge can set their parole eligibility at anywhere between 10 and 25 years.