Alberta Court of Appeal upholds double murder convictions for Emanuel Kahsai
Posted Jan 14, 2022 10:30 am.
Last Updated Jan 14, 2022 10:38 am.
Alberta’s highest court has upheld first-degree murder convictions against a man who stabbed his mother and a woman with a developmental disability the mother was caring for in her home.
Emanuel Kahsai of Calgary was convicted in 2018 of killing his mother, Selma Alem, and Julie Tran, who had fetal alcohol syndrome disorder.
He was sentenced to life without parole for a minimum of 50 years.
The two women were found dead with multiple stab wounds in October 2015 in Alem’s home.
Kahsai appealed on several grounds, including that he failed to defend himself in a meaningful way.
Read more:
-
Man charged with second-degree murder after body found in Red Deer home: RCMP
-
Alberta RCMP investigating video of teens yelling racial slur at party
-
Multiple teens charged in violent Calgary robberies
The Appeal Court denied the appeal in a 2-1 decision.
Justice Brian O’Ferrall wrote that he would have ordered a new trial for Kahsai, who represented himself.
O’Ferrall said the trial judge should have ordered a lawyer to advocate for Kahsai, even though he did not want one.
Justices Bruce McDonald and Ritu Khullar disagreed.
McDonald wrote that forcing a lawyer on Kahsai would be unacceptable in a free and democratic society.
