Posted on 05/27/2005 1:50:19 PM PDT by Buford T. Justice
EDMONTON - Clifford Sleigh has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years in the murder, kidnapping and sexual assault of six-year-old Corrine (Punky) Gustavson. The judge heard victim impact statements before sentencing the 42-year-old, who broke down and sobbed when he stood up to apologize to the Edmonton child's family.
Five members of Corrine's family – including her sister, father and cousin – read victim impact statements in court, detailing the effect the girl's 1992 death has had on them.
Corinne's father told court he had a nervous breakdown and split from his wife after the murder, while her mother said she was robbed of the chance to watch her daughter grow up, graduate and marry.
Sleigh was found guilty on all three charges on Wednesday after eleven jurors deliberated for about 11 hours. They were never told that Sleigh had two previous convictions for sexually assaulting young girls.
At the start of the trial, Sleigh admitted to abducting and sexually assaulting Punky. He tried to plead guilty to manslaughter but the Crown rejected the plea.
Punky disappeared from her north Edmonton yard on Sept. 6, 1992. Her body was found two days later in a truck yard.
She had been sexually assaulted and, according to the medical examiner, smothered.
Punky had been playing in the yard with a friend when Sleigh drove by. Court heard that Sleigh, who was angry at his common-law wife, headed out to find a girl he knew "to rape." Unable to find her, he spotted Punky and grabbed her because she was the child closest to the fence.
Sleigh was charged in 2003 with first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault, after police obtained a DNA sample from him.
Sleigh has maintained Punky was alive when he left her.
Police had considered him a suspect early in the investigation, and said his baseball cleats matched prints where Punky's body had been found. But his then-common-law wife and friends said he had been with them the entire Labour Day weekend when the girl disappeared.
Throw him in General Population and let the crowd know what he did.
He'll be out in 10 years, max.
Why is he still alive?
A gorgeous name like Corinne, and they had to call the poor girl Punky.
It's cases like this one when I really wish Canada would bring back the death penalty. This scum is a prime candidate for a needle.
There will still be time to do this again when he gets out.
Since they spare his life, Canada deserves what they get as a result. That applies to the US, too.
Beat me to it. By 40 minutes.
Why is it this guy has ANY chance for parole?
Apparantly the courts WANT him to get out and do this again?
Astounding. A man who would kidnap, rape, and murder a 6 year old child actually has the possibility of getting out of prison in 25 years. This kind of sentence sends a chilling message about the value Canada's courts place on the lives of the innocent.
Hang him by his testicles until dead.
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