The crime has no clear motive, but the details are outlined in Court of King's Bench Justice Dallas Miller's 34-page conviction decision, which was handed down following a trial earlier this month that saw prosecutors Jase Cowan and Brian Shantz call 18 witnesses over the seven days of evidence.
The victim was Alfred (Alf) Belyea, a 72-year-old Cypress County councillor who had served his community for six years and had recently told his wife and friends he was planning to seek another term.
The last people to see Alf alive besides his wife were three fellow Cypress County councillors, who spent the Thursday before Thanksgiving on the golf course together with another tee time booked for the holiday Monday.
The judge heard a toxicology report showed Alf had a concoction of sedatives in his system at the time of his death, including morphine, codeine, zopiclone and bupivacaine.
Beyak argued her client's need for an oxygen tank meant "she simply could not do all the physical acts required to commit the murder, cut off the arms and transport the body almost two hours away."
But prosecutors Cowan and Shantz argued Deborah had exclusive opportunity to murder Alf, who, the evidence showed, was killed in his home while wearing pajamas and dragged out the front door.
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What a sad and tragic story, please be sure to visit and spend time with the elderly. Their once full lives may be empty as the lives of younger generations move on without them. Put yourself in those shoes, as you may well be one day, and give someone a goal and reason to be around. Be sure they are given a comfortable environment to talk about their concerns, and be sure they have access to mental health supports as best as you can.