Judge sends woman to prison for nine years for role in 2024 murder

A Winnipeg woman was sentenced Thursday to nine years in prison for her role in the murder of a man she believed had “ratted out” a friend to police.

Breanne Bruyere previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the March 2024 shotgun killing of 56-year-old Edgar Allan Bear.

The man who pulled the trigger, Maxim Garneau, pleaded guilty last year to three counts of second-degree murder for killing Bear and two other men in separate, unrelated attacks and was handed three concurrent life sentences with no chance of parole for 18 years.

“Although Maxim Garneau shot and killed Allan Bear, Ms. Bruyere’s actions played a significant role in the victim’s death, regardless of her lack of intention,” said King’s Bench Justice Sarah Inness, describing the killing as “senseless.”

Court heard victim impact statements from a dozen family members who described Bear as a strong protector and source of comfort in difficult times. Several family members said Bear, the youngest of five siblings, had a “special bond” with his mother, who died from a “broken heart” nine months after the killing.

“This broke our mother spiritually, emotionally and physically, said Bear’s sister Angela Bear.

“I recommend (Bruyere) never see the light of day,” Bear said. “I would never wish this on anybody where there is hope. There is no hope here today.”

The circumstances of Bear’s killing were laid out in an agreed statement of facts provided to court.

“This was an act of vigilantism,” Crown attorney Kaley Tschetter told Inness. “Ms. Bruyere knew exactly what she was doing.”

The day of the killing, Bear had been involved in a robbery with three other men, after which one of the men was arrested. Bruyere blamed Bear for the man’s arrest, believing he had “ratted” the man out to police,” Tschetter said, reading from the agreed statement of facts.

Bruyere lured Bear to a Selkirk Avenue home where she was waiting with Garneau.

Before Bear arrived, Garneau asked Bruyere to give him a gun, which she did, Tschetter said.

Garneau “ask(ed) her for a better one, stating that this one would only make him limp,” Tschetter said.

Bruyere returned with a sawed-off shotgun.

Garneau was “pleased” with the firearm and said, “he will either be shooting Edgar Bear in the knees or killing him.”

When Bear arrived, Garneau forced him to his knees. A woman in the house tried to come between them before Garneau fired the shotgun over her shoulder, striking Bear in the head.

Garneau and several others in the house fled, as Bruyere called 911, claiming Bear had been shot by an unknown male. Bruyere remained at the house and provided first aid until paramedics arrived.

Bruyere provided two more misleading statements to police before she was arrested a week later.

Bruyere’s upbringing was marked by instability, several periods in foster care and substance abuse, defence lawyer Kaitlynn Porath told court.

While in custody, Bruyere has worked on her sobriety and participated in counselling, court heard.

Inness said the fact Bruyere stayed at the house to provide first aid was evidence she did not intend for Bear to die.

“This after the fact conduct speaks favourably to her as regards her remorse and rehabilitation,” Inness said.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca