'Everybody deserves a second chance': Yorkton murder victim's sister says she forgave killers

YORKTON, SASK. -

The sister of a Yorkton man who was murdered in 2018 said she has forgiven the four people connected to his death.

Investigators believe 25-year-old Colin Robert Focht was killed in September 2018. His remains were found the following spring in a rural area near Yorkton.

Police believe four people were involved in the murder.

“I actually did forgive them. I think everybody deserves a second chance,” Mary Anne Focht, Colin’s sister, said in an interview.

Last week, 26-year-old Jordan Ironstand was sentenced to life in prison for the death of Colin Focht after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. Taiya Hudy, 22, served two years in prison for accessory to murder.

Two others were youths at the time of the offence. One has served time while the other is awaiting sentencing.

Ironstand will be eligible for parole in 12 years.

“It was a joint submission, so this is what Jordan wanted,” Ironstand’s defense attorney Aleida Oberholzer said.

Oberholzer said pleading guilty was Ironstand’s first step in his healing path.

“He needs to behave in custody, he needs to make the right steps to show that he can get out on parole and that he is rehabilitative,” she added.

‘YOU CAN NEVER GO BACK’

Mary Anne said she was traumatized during Colin’s cremation.

“When I saw it being deformed it felt like he was screaming,” she said.

"I’ll never forget April 4th when they found his body finally after the many months. This whole thing has changed Mary Anne and I and the other sisters lives in different ways,” Focht family Spokesperson Sheila Webster said.

“You can never go back to who you were before.”

Mary Anne and Webster have written four separate victim impact statements as part of the court proceedings.

“Mary Anne and I actually wrote each victim impact statement differently, because it’s different for each person and how their part in the murder was, and also knowing their backgrounds and what kind of support they did or did not have through their life,” Webster said.

“I felt really upset, and I just wanted to get the emotions through to the perpetrators, that they would be able to realize the mistake they did,” said Mary Anne.

Both Mary Anne and Webster have been open-minded to the process.

“If you don’t forgive you’re held hostage to the crime, and that you’ll never have peace in your life” Webster said.