THUNDER BAY — Daniel Keefe was sentenced to life in prison without eligibility of parole for 10 years on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old could see just shy of six more years in prison if the parole board takes his time served pre-sentence into consideration.
Keefe was found guilty of second-degree murder on Feb. 12 for the death of 19-year-old Aiden Cunningham on June 25, 2022.
A second-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence in Canada, leaving Justice Stephen Wojciechowski to determine the period of parole ineligibility, which can be no less than 10 years and no more than 25 years.
Keefe has been in custody since the day of his arrest in June 2022.
Whether Keefe is granted parole is up to the Parole Board of Canada; they would also decide whether Keefe’s 50.6 months credit for time served will be applied to his period of parole ineligibility.
During a jury trial held in February, the court heard how Keefe had invited Cunningham to his home to play video games and later that afternoon as Cunningham was leaving with a friend, Cunningham and Keefe got into a physical altercation.
Keefe had told a 911 operator he had a knife in his pocket because Cunningham had attacked him previously.
During the altercation, which lasted about 30 seconds, Keefe stabbed Cunningham twice, with one of the wounds penetrating Cunningham’s heart.
During a sentencing hearing held late last month, both the Crown and defence submitted the appropriate period of parole ineligibility was the minimum of 10 years, with both sides citing Keefe’s youthful age and lack of a prior criminal record.
“In considering the circumstances of Daniel Keefe, he was a young male, barely 18 years old at the time of the murder,” said Justice Wojciechowski. “He did not have any past criminal history, and the violent encounter with Aiden Cunningham was seemingly out of character for him.”
The judge said there were no aggravating factors presented for his consideration and while it’s true Keefe had a knife, evidence heard during the trial suggested the knife was not used before the fight started or that wielding it instigated the fight.
“There is no evidence suggesting that the fight was planned or that this was an event deliberately concocted by Daniel Keefe,” said the judge. “No evidence suggests that Daniel Keefe had laid out a plan to entice Aiden Cunningham into a fight or that he was planning all along to use the knife in his pocket. The fact that Daniel Keefe possessed a knife at the time, perhaps speaks to immaturity.”
The judge also noted the prospect of rehabilitation must be prioritized.
Justice Wojciechowski also spoke of the powerful victim impact statements read during the sentencing hearing.
“Aiden was loved and cherished by his family and his death has ripped a huge hole in their lives, one which will likely never be repaired,” he said.
“The sudden and tragic loss will always weigh heavily upon them.”
