A man charged with second-degree murder in the 2016 death of 18-year-old Raine Andrew Silas in Pelly Crossing has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
Tristan Joe entered his guilty plea in a Whitehorse courtroom March 8 during his preliminary hearing, thereby avoiding the need for a trial.
The court ordered a pre-sentence report to be done for Joe. Joe’s lawyer, Jenny Cunningham, also requested a Gladue report.
Joe’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 22.
A manslaughter conviction carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. That’s in contrast to a second-degree murder conviction, where the minimum penalty is life in prison with no chance of parole for between 10 to 25 years. Manslaughter does not carry a minimum sentence unless a firearm was used, at which point the minimum sentence is four years in jail.
Contact Jackie Hong at jackie.hong@yukon-news.com