Brandon Martin’s family members spent a harrowing year searching for him, but were unsuccessful. The man responsible for the young man’s death was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday with no possibility of parole for 15 years.
Ethan James Harnish, 23, was charged with first degree murder in 2020 and pleaded guilty to second degree murder charges in February.
The victim’s mother, Natacha Daigle, emotionally read a statement on the victim’s impact during the sentencing.
To the monster that took my son’s life, you broke me. You took away my right to see him one last time, the right to say goodbyehe says.
A statement was also prepared on behalf of Brandon Martin’s young daughter. According to the statement, the child wandered around the rooms of the house, calling: dad, dad, dadand asked his family why he went to heaven?
A senseless and violent murder
Queen’s Court Judge Fred Ferguson noted that the Martin family had experienced a very ugly nightmare since 2019.
Brandon Martin is a son, a brother, a father. He was the victim of a senseless and violent murderhe said.
According to the agreed statement of facts, Brandon Martin and Ethan Harnish are friends. Harnish suspects Martin was involved in a burglary at his apartment a month before the murder.
On May 22, 2019, Brandon Martin’s brother took him to Ethan Harnish. At the scene, the two men had an argument over alleged drug theft.
Harnish then pulled out a gun and shot Martin twice in the back of the head. The accomplices helped him clean up the scene and dispose of the corpse.
One such man, Daniel Dubé, pleaded guilty last month to aiding Harnish and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
The two men took the victim’s remains to a secluded location near Highway 108 between Renous and Plaster Rock, where they tried to burn and bury the body.
According to Crown prosecutor Melanie MacAulay, Harnish threatened to kill Dubé if he did not help him.
Dubé and Harnish lied to police during the investigation into Brandon Martin’s disappearance. Only in May 2020, a year after the events, Daniel Dubé admitted his involvement in the crime and took the police to the place where the body was.
Regretful says Harnish
Natacha Daigle spoke directly to the killer on Monday: You shot my son twice in the back of the head, not giving him a chance to defend himself. You are a coward.
Ethan Harnish told the judge that he would have had the courage to admit his crime sooner than he did.
He then turned to the Martin family and told them how much their son loved them.
Honestly, sorry. I’m sorry for the pain I caused you when he disappearedhe said.
The man can apply for parole for 15 years, but as Judge Ferguson reminded us, there is no guarantee that this request will be accepted.
Based on CBC’s Shane Magee report
Radio Canada
Source: Radio-Canada
