A former Swift Current resident who viciously murdered a 58-year-old Calgary woman has been sentenced to life in prison.
51-year-old Christopher Dunlop was found guilty of first-degree murder earlier this month for the 2023 death of Judy Maerz.
He's been convicted of stabbing Maerz 79 times, covering her in gasoline, and lighting her on fire.
"I have struggled to put into words something that appropriately expresses the heinous nature of this crime," said Court of King's Bench Justice Colin Feasby at the sentencing hearing. "What was done to Ms. Maerz was shocking... horrific."
Dunlop got out of prison in April 2020 after serving only part of a 13-year sentence for manslaughter in the 2009 death of another Calgary woman.
His brutal attack on Maerz occurred early in the morning of February 16th, 2023.
Dunlop is now serving an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.
"I don't know how you make peace with yourself," said Justice Feasby. "But you're going to have a long time to do that."
Dunlop chose not to address the court.
Kathryn Furlan, the mother of Dunlop's first victim, Laura Furlan, spoke to reporters after the hearing.
"He should have never gotten out," she said. “You wanna commit a crime, come to Canada.
"I made a promise to myself that I was going to advocate for my daughter till the end, and this is the end for me."
With files from The Canadian Press.