A Fort St. James man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2022 shooting death of John Lazarre.
On Feb. 25, 2022, Fort St. James RCMP officers were called to reports of shots fired on Spruce Road. According to police, when officers arrived, they found 36-year-old John Lazarre deceased.
Thomas Duncan, now 33, was later arrested and charged in connection with the killing. Ducan pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for Lazarre’s death.
On Wednesday, Dec. 3, in provincial court, Duncan was handed a mandatory life sentence, with the judge setting his parole ineligibility period at 10 years. The ruling means he will not be eligible to apply for parole until at least 2035.
According to Crown Counsel, the court also imposed a mandatory firearms prohibition and a DNA order.
Second-degree murder convictions in Canada carry an automatic life sentence, though parole eligibility can vary between 10 and 25 years depending on the circumstances of the case.