“I love you mom.”
That was what 23-year-old Winston Tallio said after receiving his sentence from a Williams Lake Provincial Court judge for manslaughter on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Tallio dressed in black formal attire and a soft pink shirt with a medicine bag around his neck wept as he was placed in handcuffs after being sentenced to serve a four year jail sentence at Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Village, a minimum security facility located approximately 140 kilometres east of Vancouver in the community of Harrison Mills, in relation to a deadly stabbing in the West Chilcotin region.
On the evening of December 30, 2024, Anahim Lake RCMP were called to a residence near Nimpo Lake, west of Williams Lake, for a report of a fight and upon arrival, found a 26-year-old local man in medical distress suffering from stab wounds. Despite life-saving measures, the victim, a family member known to Tallio, died of his injuries.
In an agreed statement of facts shared by Judge Scott Mulder, both men had been drinking that night and became highly intoxicated, arguing and eager to fight.
Immediately after noticing blood, Tallio stopped what he was doing and waited for police to arrive. He admitted in a statement to police that he had caused the death, although he was unable to provide any explanation or details and had no memory of having a weapon.
“I’ll accept that Mr. Tallio was genuinely remorseful and would not have acted the way he did if not been so intoxicated,” Mulder said.
“It cannot be suggested the stabbing was an accident,” he, however, added, noting prior convictions likely when Tallio was also under the influence of drugs, alcohol or both were aggravating factors as that past behaviour should have been seen by Tallio as a warning sign.
Before Mulder delivered his decision, Tallio addressed the court the previous day and said he thinks a lot about what happened and wishes he could go back to the night of Dec. 30, 2024, to change his decisions and actions.
“It eats me every single day,” he said, noting the resulting nightmares and loss of family. “I can never undo what I did. I have to live with that for the rest of my life.”
Mitigating factors Mulder noted included the Gladue report referencing significant substance abuse and violence throughout Tallio’s life. Also confirmed by others were the significant steps Tallio has taken while out of custody to deal with his substance misuse issues and his keen interest in reconnecting with his Indigenous roots.
Tallio had pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge in October 2025.
“This Indigenous community has lost one young man through the result of this tragic incident and my hope is that Mr. Tallio will not be lost as a result of this sentence,” Mulder said.
He described Tallio as a still young Indigenous man dealing with the repercussions of colonialism and residential schools, and who has been described by others as committed to becoming a better person.
“He has found social supports and he has demonstrated commitment to his own rehabilitation. He has indicated his desire to help others who find themselves in situations like he was in — I hope that he follows through on that.”
Tallio told the court he hopes to relocate with his mother to Surrey, attend post-secondary education and eventually work with others struggling with addiction.