REGINA — The grandmother of a murdered woman whose body has never been found has asked the killer to say where it is so the family can have closure.
Mary Hughes gave her victim impact statement this morning about Richele Bear's death at the sentencing of Clayton Eichler in Regina.
Eichler has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the deaths of Bear and Kelly Goforth.
Goforth's body was found in an industrial garbage bin, but Bear's remains have never been located.
Maxine Goforth told Court of Queen's Bench that she has spent many nights crying for her daughter and wondering why she had to die.
She said her daughter's son, Kelly, will never feel his mother's love.
"The past three years have been agony for us, for me, living without my daughter," Goforth said Tuesday. "Losing my girl meant losing a beautiful, beautiful soul."
Michele Bear expressed similar feelings about her daughter.
"The day Richele was murdered, we all lost a piece of us and it can never be replaced."
Eichler cried as he stood and told the families he was truly sorry for what happened.
Justice Fred Kovach said he accepted a joint recommendation from the Crown and defence and sentenced Eichler, 35, to serve 20 years of his automatic life sentence before he is eligible for parole.
Goforth, 21, was last seen Sept. 24, 2013. Court heard that her body was found the next day, wrapped in garbage bags, put in a hockey bag and thrown in a Dumpster.
Bear, 23, was reported missing Sept. 5, 2013, although police have said the exact time and date of her disappearance is not known.
The File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council and the Regina Treaty-Status Indian Services office said in a statement Monday that "the realities and the vulnerabilities of our indigenous women are due to the immense poverty that is often faced by our indigenous people in the cities.
"As such, indigenous women are forced to put themselves at greater risk for harm."
The release said women should never expect "that any lifestyle choice should make them a target for predators to hurt them or end their lives."
