Fifteen-year sentence for role in killing

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This article was published 22/01/2021 (2062 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A woman was sent to prison for 15 years on Thursday for shooting and killing a man during a break-in after an emotionally charged sentencing hearing.

“I hope you rot in jail, no matter how much times goes by. I f—ing hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, you killed my father for drugs,” the victim’s son said while reading his victim impact statement in court.

Molly Syganiec, 24, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of 62-year-old Leonard Maksymic in 2017.

Crown attorney Michael Himmelman said on Nov. 25, 2017, Syganiec, along with two other co-accused, broke into Maksymic’s Neepawa residence in an attempt to steal morphine.

One of the other co-accused handed Syganiec a double-barrelled shotgun before kicking in both doors of Maksymic’s house, he said.

Kelsie LeSergent, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison in November 2019 for her role in the killing, told police Maksymic ran at them with what she thought was a knife, Himmelman said.

Syganiec then shot him as she was startled and thought he wasn’t able to walk.

The three panicked and while running back to the car the gun broke, Himmelman said. Syganiec dropped a piece of it on nearby railroad tracks.

The other co-accused then cut the gun up with an electric saw and put the pieces in a bucket with bleach, the Crown said. He also threw pieces of the gun out the window on the drive back to Brandon.

Officers also found a piece of the firearm in a nearby ditch.

Police never found a knife near Maksymic’s body, Himmelman said. The court heard the man struggled to walk as he used a walker to get around and had four strokes since 2011.

Maksymic’s body was found in a pool of blood at approximately 3 a.m. after a neighbour went to check on him. Himmelman said he had a large wound in his chest and police found pellets and shotgun shell wadding inside his body.

“Events happened so fast (Syganiec) didn’t form the intent for murder. However, this was not an accident,” said Himmelman.

The three deliberately travelled to Neepawa in an attempt to rob Maksymic of pills and money the night of the shooting, he said.

“The seriousness of what the accused did here cannot be overstated. Anyone would be shocked by the circumstances. This was a brazen, calculated attack on a vulnerable older victim who was specifically targeted because the co-accused knew he had mobility issues,” said Himmelman.

Defence lawyer Crystal Antila said Syganiec’s life was one filled with disruptions and trauma when she was growing up. She spent time in 60 to 70 foster homes and lacked any kind of loving support from her family.

“Ms. Syganiec eventually got into substance use: alcohol, drugs and most particularly, and most recently, methamphetamine was the drug of choice and that seems to be something that became … part of her daily life,” said Antila.

Drug use compounded with mental health issues and the effect snowballed, she said.

Both the Crown and defence jointly recommended a sentence of 15 years in prison. Antila said it wasn’t a recommendation both sides came to at the last minute and it was a true plea bargain.

Both Maksymic’s son and brother read victim impact statements in court. The victim’s brother, Ron, said Maksymic used to call their mother every day at 8:30 a.m., but Syganiec destroyed that bond.

“He never stopped helping people no matter how hard it was for him. He never turned anybody away. He never gave up, then you came along and took that away from him,” Ron said to Syganiec, who was seated in the prisoner’s box.

“Every day, people stand right where I am today and say that you have to forgive the accused. Well, that’s not going happen today. I can hate you with a passion and never forgive you for taking my brother’s life, and that alone sets me free.”

Wearing an unbuttoned white collared shirt and a Nike T-shirt, Syganiec apologized for the killing from the prisoner’s box.

“I think about that day every day… I know I can’t change the past, but I can try and make amends. … I’m so incredibly sorry,” she said.

Justice Scott Abel called Maksymic’s death “tragic and unnecessary” and went along with the recommended 15-year prison sentence.

Abel said Syganiec’s history of addiction doesn’t excuse her behaviour, but hopefully the sentence can allow the process of healing to continue for the victim’s family.

» dmay@brandonsun.com

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