The man convicted of killing five-year-old Taliyah Marsman and her mother Sara Baillie in 2016 has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 50 years.
On Tuesday, Justice Beth Hughes sentenced Edward Downey to life in prison and decided he must wait 50 years before he can ask the parole board for release.
“The gravity of the offence, Mr. Downey’s moral blameworthiness, and his degree of responsibility are at the highest level," said Justice Hughes in her decision. "After kidnapping Taliyah, Mr. Downey planned and deliberated upon her murder for some hours before he killed her. By murdering Taliyah, Mr. Downey killed the sole witness to her mother’s murder.”
“His text conversations after dumping Taliyah’s body outside of the city reveal a callous and remorseless individual.”
Last December, it took a jury less than three hours to find Edward Downey guilty of two counts of first degree murder, in the death of Marsman and Baillee.
Baillie’s body was found with duct tape wrapped around her neck and face, stuffed into a laundry basket in a closet, in her Panorama Hills home on July 11, 2016. Taliyah's body was found dumped in the bushes outside the city three days later. The medical examiner determined that both died of asphyxiation.
Following Downey's sentencing, Scott Hamilton, uncle to Sara and great uncle to Taliyah, spoke on behalf of the family.
“It’s been a long time to finally have the trial and sentencing completed for all the family members," said Hamilton. "Sara and Taliyah are always in our thoughts. We miss them dearly.”
“We thank again the Calgary Police Service, the Crown prosecutors and Justice Hughes."
(With files from The Canadian Press and CTV's Jordan Kanygin)
