THUNDER BAY - Crown and defense counsel will present their submissions to a Thunder Bay Court later this summer to argue how long Benjamin Marki should remain behind bars after being found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder.
On Monday, Crown prosecutor, Andrew Sadler, and defense attorney, George Joseph, agreed to return the matter to a Thunder Bay Courtroom on July 16 for sentencing submissions before Justice Terrence Platana.
In April, a jury found Marki guilty of two counts of second degree murder, one count of arson endangering life, and one count of committing an indignity to a human body in connection to the December 2015 deaths of 60-year-old Wilfred Pott and 50-year-old Anne Chuchmuch.
A guilty verdict in a second-degree murder charges carries a mandatory life sentence with no possibility for parole for a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 25 years.
The incident took place on the night of Dec. 15 2015 when emergency crews responded to reports of a house fire at a Brant Street home. Pott was found unresponsive inside the building and later died in hospital and the burned remains of Chuchmuch were discovered a short time later.
The jury deliberated for a day-and-a-half before returning with the guilty verdict. The trial lasted six days and included testimony from several responding emergency personnel, forensic experts, and neighbours in the area.
Before the jury was dismissed by Justice Platana, they provided parole ineligibility recommendations to the court. Of the jury, consisting of nine women and three men, eight did not provide a recommendation, one recommended 10 years, another recommended 12 years, and two jurors recommended 25 years.
Following the guilty verdict, Sadler said the sentencing process will include victim impact statements from family of Pott and Chuchmuch and he hopes continuing that process will allow for a stronger sense of closure.
Joseph also requested a pre-sentencing report and a Gladue report.
