Shellbrook area murder case concludes with eight year sentence

The subsequent autopsy revealed 11 sharp wound injuries. There were also multiple contusions, abrasions, lacerations and hemorrhages to the head and torso area including two fractured ribs.

Wesley Custer with his daughter. (Submitted photo/ Lee Badger)

According to facts read in court by Crown Prosecutor Kristen Hubbard, Custer, on the day prior, had been taken by Tyson Lachance and Ledoux to a house at Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation.

In the basement, Custer was then on the receiving end of a “minute” – a gang related term to describe punishment of a fellow member and in Custer’s case, he was accused of being a “rat”.

The following day, Custer was loaded into the trunk of a white car and taken to Shellbrook. Ledoux was driving and along the way made stops at both the Canwood bar and a gas station in Shellbrook. It was during the first stop when Lachance delivered the fatal stab wounds.

Two days later, RCMP received word of a vehicle on fire at Ahtahkakoop. This would turn out to be the same white car used to transport Custer and among the items retrieved from the vehicle was a steak knife and scissors.

In the days prior to the offence, Lachance called several of his inmate friends and suggested he was going to do something that would result in a lengthy prison sentence.

Wesley Custer. (Submitted/ Lee Badger)

In addition to stabbing Custer, Lachance was also the one who directed the ‘minute’ and told Curtis Ledoux to burn the vehicle. At a separate court hearing last year, Lachance received a life sentence for first degree murder.

At the time of Ledoux’s initial arrest in May, 2022, he was charged with manslaughter, however prior to a preliminary inquiry hearing, the charge was upgraded to first degree murder.

Explaining why there was an agreement by the Crown to the lesser offence, Hubbard noted Ledoux was not the one who stabbed Custer, nor did he take part in the minute. On the other hand he also did nothing to stop any of the events from occurring.

“He’s still very much a part of that,” she said.

Another co-accused, Kyle Standing previously entered a guilty plea to manslaughter and received a seven-year prison sentence. Comparing the two sentences, Hubbard noted Standing was there for the ‘minute’ but was not there for the drive or stabbing – which was opposite to Ledoux’s role. Ledoux also had 15 convictions on his criminal record including four for violence.

Ledoux’s defence and final remarks

While detailing Ledoux’s troubled upbringing, defence lawyer Brady Knight cited early exposure to both drugs and alcohol. Knight also noted Ledoux’s own father had been locked up in prison and then explained the realization he was now in the same position his father was, has been very difficult for Ledoux.

Over the course of the past three years, while locked up in remand, court heard Ledoux has demonstrated a motivation to change. In addition to being his unit’s rep, he also successfully advocated for inmate programming such as participation in sweats.

Also described as a religious man, Ledoux has completed two bible courses and is working with STR8 Up, assisting others who are trying to remove themselves from the gang lifestyle.

“I think there’s still hope for Mr. Ledoux,” Knight commented.

Prior to accepting the joint submission presented to him, Justice Meschishnick explained he had considered both the aggravating factors of the case, as well as Ledoux’s steps to become a contributing member of society.

“Please keep on that path,” he encouraged Ledoux.

With credit for time spent in pre-sentence custody, Ledoux has roughly five years left to serve.

As part of the defence requests, he wants to serve his sentence out of province. This is so he can stay away from his old gang affiliations. He also wants to serve a portion of his sentence at a healing lodge.

Also sentenced in the case was Curtis Ledoux, the man who owned and set fire to the car. He was convicted on a charge of being an accessory after the fact to manslaughter and received a sentence of 253 days.

Brian Dreaver and Matthew Whitstone were also charged with murder in the case and had their matters stayed at provincial court.

Absent from the courtoom on Monday were any members of the victim’s family. There was, however, a victim impact statement provided by Custer’s uncle Bob, who adopted Custer when he was about a month old. When the initial arrests were made, Bob told paNOW his son called him almost every day.

“I miss him phoning me and telling me how much he loves me, and telling me not to die because I’m not in good health. But he left me before I left him. That’s what really hurts me,” he said.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell

by Nigel Maxwell

Shellbrook area murder case concludes with eight year sentence

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