Calgary man who murdered his mother handed life sentence

A Calgary man who fatally shot his mother was handed a life sentence Friday with no chance of parole for 10 years.

Earlier this month, Levi Romeo Mitchell, 31, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Deborah Ann Mitchell, who was killed on Oct. 30, 2021.

On Friday, Justice Blair Nixon called Levi Mitchell "a person with a serious criminal past" but also noted "he is a man who does not and cannot operate at the level of a normal 31-year-old because of his FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder)."

A second-degree murder conviction comes with an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 10 to 25 years.

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During a sentencing hearing earlier this week, Crown prosecutors Tom Buglas and Gregory Whiteside as well as defence lawyer Shaun Leochko asked Justice Blair Nixon to impose a 10-year parole ineligibility period.

In 2021, Levi and his mother were living together in the basement apartment of a home in the northeast community of Pineridge. Levi was Deborah's only child.

'Crippling' heartbreak

The day she was killed, Deborah and Levi argued. She armed herself with bear spray but her son grabbed a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun and shot her twice.

Levi hid the gun in the furnace ducts and called 911.

"Calling 911 dispatchers to attempt to get assistance for Deborah Mitchell provides some evidence that this occurred in the moment with some sense of regret arising shortly after," Nixon noted in his sentencing decision. 

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Earlier this week, a victim impact statement was presented as part of the sentencing hearing. 

Tina Mitchell described her "crippling" heartbreak after losing her sister.

But she did thank her nephew for being honest and doing his mother right by admitting guilt.

A violent past

The day he killed his mother, Mitchell was on bail for 12 criminal offences, including weapons charges. 

Since 2015, Mitchell has served at least five jail sentences for various offences, including assault causing bodily harm, assault, drug possession and weapons offences.

Some of those offences took place while he was on bail, some while he was in prison.

In 2019, he was handed a six-year sentence after firing several shots into a home with a woman and four children inside. 

In February 2021, his statutory release was revoked when the Parole Board of Canada ruled he was too high a risk to the community.