The man accused of two counts of murder from an incident stemming from 2016 was found guilty of both counts Monday morning at B.C. Supreme Court in Courtenay.
Michael Philip Simard, 45, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder. Comox Valley RCMP attended a home on the 2300 block of Urquhart Avenue in Courtenay around 3 a.m. on Oct. 5, 2016, where a woman and man were found dead.
Simard was transported to hospital with a self-inflicted gunshot injury.
Police confirmed Simard and the couple, identified as Leanne Larocque and Gord Turner, knew each other.
Following his initial court appearance, Larocque’s parents, Ron and Barb Kelly offered condolences for all families involved.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to Gord’s family and we’re sorry for what Mike’s family is going through as well,” read Barb from a prepared statement.
The statement went onto express how the family lost “… our ray of sunshine, … our daughter, a mother, a grandma, a sister, an auntie, a cousin and a friend and a co-worker. Leanne enjoyed life so much, and was looking forward to spending time with her kids and being a grandma. She was so excited for this, and [this] has left us all numb.”
Simard will return to court May 7 for sentencing. Second-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. A parole eligibility date will be within a range of 10 to 25 years.
erin.haluschak@comoxvalleyrecord.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
