THUNDER BAY – A couple murdered in their home more than two years ago were taken before their first grandchildren arrived in the world, leaving their family members devastated as they remember their resiliency and generosity.
Victim impact statements from the family members of Wilfred Pott and Anne Chuchmuch were presented in a Thunder Bay courtroom on Monday morning during a sentencing hearing for Benjamin Marki, who was convicted of all charges for their deaths following a jury trial earlier this year.
Marki, who had been taken in by Pott and Chuchmuch to attempt to turn his life around, was found guilty of two counts of second degree murder, one count of arson endangering human life and one count of committing an indignity to a human body.
A second degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence with no parole eligibility for at least 10 years.
Emergency services were called to the Brant Street area home on the night of Dec. 27, 2015 to respond to a fire.
Upon arrival they found the 60-year-old Pott unresponsive and realized he was suffering from several stab wounds once he was loaded into an ambulance. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
The charred remains of the 50-year-old Chuchmuch were discovered after the fire was extinguished.
Morris Chuchmuch told the court about learning of his daughter’s death through a Facebook post, at first hoping it was a cruel joke.
“We were shocked and couldn’t believe all of this was real,” he said.
Chuchmuch also said that despite sitting through the two-week trial and listening to what he called “mind-boggling” evidence, he still doesn’t know why his daughter and Pott were killed.
Sharon Munro, Anne’s sister, in a statement read into court by Crown prosecutor Andrew Sadler said their lives were stolen in the most horrendous and violent manner, leaving her sister’s body unrecognizable and requiring DNA as the only means of identification.
Munro’s statement credited Pott for helping Chuchmuch overcome her battle with addictions. She also outlined the couple’s devotion to the community, which included Pott’s work as an addictions counsellor at The Shelter House and Chuchmuch’s numerous volunteer commitments with different organizations.
Jennifer Hamann, Pott's daughter, also had a statement read by Sadler. She told the court about how Pott wasn’t around early in her life as he battled a severe drug addiction but they reconnected when she was in her early 20s.
Despite the absence, the look of pride, adoration and love in his eyes during that first meeting was unmistakeable, she said.
“They worked so hard to overcome their addictions and make restitutions for their past wrongdoings,” her statement read, describing Pott and Chuchmuch's efforts to turn their lives around.
Hamann said Pott seemed to have a new lease on life and was determined to make positive personal growth.
He would constantly ask about when she would have children, Hamann added.
“He was so excited to be a grandfather,” her statement read, adding that he would have been a role model of resilience.
Her first child, who was born last fall, was named after her father.
The sentencing hearing will continue on Tuesday morning after defence lawyer George Joseph requested more time to review the Gladue report, which was only delivered to court just minutes before the hearing began.
Justice Terrence Platana granted the defence an extra day to prepare but voiced his frustrations about the delay, taking issue with what he called the “breakdown of human communication” that will make all parties wait for a conclusion.
Platana apologized to the members of the victims’ families who travelled for the proceedings, making it clear he was not placing blame on the defence.
“It needs to be addressed because we simply cannot have this delay,” Platana said of the process to prepare the reports.
