A Kelowna man accused of killing his wife and two daughters days before Christmas 2017 is now facing more significant charges.
Crown approved new information on Jacob Forman’s file and the two charges relating to the deaths of his daughters, Karina and Yesenia Forman, have officially been upgraded to first degree murder from second degree, said a spokesperson from the provincial Prosecution Service.
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The charge relating to the death of his wife Clara Forman remains at second degree murder.
At Forman’s last court appearance, Crown counsel Murray Kaay indicated that the charges may be upgraded, though it had yet to be made official.
No information on the case has been made available as of yet, though the upgraded charge offers insight.
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Second degree murder is defined as all other murder other than first degree murder. So, if it is not planned and the perpetrator did not deliberate about it but still intended to kill someone, that is second degree murder. Sentencing for second degree murder ranges from life in jail with no parole for 10 years to 25 years until you are eligible for parole. If there are mitigating factors the jury can recommend the minimum.
First degree murder is deliberate and planned, with a couple of exceptions.
Sentencing for first degree murder, however, is life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years There is no discretion on the part of the judge; that is the minimum sentence and it is automatic.
Clara Forman was originally from Mexico and worked at GoodLife Fitness, she wrote on Facebook that she met Forman 12 years ago.
“Met in January, started dating in July, engaged Oct. 27 married three weeks later on Nov. 11 at sunset. When I married Jacob Forman I left everything I knew to come to Canada and build a life,” she wrote, Nov. 11, 2015.
“God blessed our feeble efforts with good jobs, good friends, a great church family and most importantly, two of the best little humans a couple of people could ask for. Ten years later you are still the person I want to grow old with.”
Forman has no previous criminal record in B.C.. A plumber, he was raised in Quesnel and social media indicates he may have lived in Vernon.
The next appearance is on April 13, 2018.
