WARNING: This story contains graphic details.
ST. PAUL - Two of the three people charged with first degree murder in the 2018 death of Lindsay Jackson have been found guilty, following a trial by jury that began on March 1, and ended with the jury's decision being delivered shortly after 7:30 p.m. on March 10.
The jury found Jena Lynn Hunter and Julian Catalin Whiskeyjack both guilty of first degree murder.
Jackson, 25, was last seen on Sept. 22, 2018. She was reported missing shortly after. On Oct. 3, 2018, RCMP confirmed they had found Jackson's body in the North Saskatchewan river, near Duvernay. Her death was considered suspicious.
In December of 2018, RCMP announced that two people had been charged in Jackson's death. At that time, Hunter and Jermaine Eugene Steinhauer were both charged with first degree murder.
In January of 2019, Whiskeyjack was also charged with first degree murder in relation to Jackson's death.
A 10-day trial by jury for Hunter and Whiskeyjack began on March 1. The trial was held at Portage College in St. Paul, due to measures in place around the COVID-19 pandemic. Seats were set up throughout the school gymnasium, to allow for physical distancing, and a number of other precautionary measures were put in place.
All 14 members of the jury were in attendance throughout the whole trial, but since only 12 jurors can take part in deliberations, according to Canadian law, two members were selected at random, and were not part of the decision process. The additional jurors were chosen in case a member of the jury became sick during the trial, or other emergencies arose.
During the trial, Crown prosecutor Jeff Rudiak presented a theory that Jackson's death was in retaliation to the disappearance of Robert Stamp, Hunter's common law partner. Stamp has been missing since November of 2016. His vehicle was located in the Lamont area shortly after his disappearance, and police suspected foul play, although his body has never been found.
Two people were charged with murder in relation to Stamp's disappearance. Nine days prior to Jackson's disappearance, the two accused were acquitted in Stamp's death, following a trial. While Hunter's defense argued against the retaliation theory, it was noted that Hunter had been drinking for a number of days, leading up to Jackson's disappearance, and was dealing with the trauma of the trial and Stamp's death.
While Hunter admitted to police that she was on the bridge the night Jackson was killed, she told police that she pulled her hands away as Jackson was pushed.
"She was afraid for her own life," said Hunter's defense lawyer Richard Mirasty, during closing arguments. Hunter did admit to punching Jackson that night, in response to being told Jackson knew something about Stamp's death. But, Mirasty argued that Hunter was an unwitting participant in Jackson's death.
Whiskeyjack also admitted to police to being on the bridge the night of the Jackson's death, and driving the vehicle from Saddle Lake to Duvernay on the night in question. Whiskeyjack's defense argued that Steinhauer had a gun in the vehicle, and Whiskeyjack obeyed his directions due to Steinhauer having the weapon.
Whiskeyjack's defense argued that he was waiting in his vehicle for Hunter when Steinhauer and Hunter came out to the vehicle with Jackson, from a residence they had all been at.
After they arrived at the bridge, it was alleged that Steinhauer attempted to shoot Jackson, but his gun did not fire.
Jackson's blood was later found in the back of Whiskeyjack's vehicle. There was no evidence that Jackson had agreed to be driven to the bridge, and no evidence of any stops on the way to the bridge.
Neither Hunter nor Whiskeyjack went to the police immediately following Jackson's death.
In deliberations, the jury had to decide if the two accused were in a state of mind to commit murder, since they both admitted to drinking alcohol leading up to Jackson's death.
Justice R. Paul Belzil directed the jury to consider the critical time period right before Jackson was pushed off the bridge, when making their decision.
He noted that since it was a criminal trial, the jury must be unanimous in its verdict.
Following the jury's decision, which took about eight hours, Belzil said, "This has been a very difficult trial. A very difficult subject matter."
Members of the gallery could be heard, clearly upset, following the first degree murder guilty verdict.
Steinhauer is scheduled to begin his trial in early May.
