Victim impact statements heard in Renee Sweeney murder case
People close to Renee Sweeney and her family finally had their say in court Friday.
They were able to give victim impact statements 25 years after Sweeney was killed.
She was stabbed to death Jan. 27, 1998, while she was working as a part-time clerk at Adults Only Video on Paris Street in Sudbury.
The case was a mystery for 20 years until Robert Steven Wright was arrested for her murder in December 2018. Advancements in DNA technology linked him to DNA found under Sweeney’s fingernails. His fingerprints were also found under the cash drawer in the store and a witness saw him run from the scene.
Wright, now 43, was found guilty in March of second-degree murder. Seven of the jurors recommended he serve the full 25 years, two said 23 years before he’s eligible for parole, one said 22 years and two said 20 years.
Friday was the sentencing hearing.
FRIENDS AND FAMILY SPEAK
“Do you know what it's like to have lost your best friend to a senseless murder?” said Sweeney’s sister, Kim, in her statement.
“I have … There aren’t any words in the English dictionary that describe the hell that losing Renee has caused my family.”
Kim Sweeney said she had endured “7,623 days of personal torment” since her sister was killed.
- Read more on the Sweeney Murder Case
- Download the CTV News app now and get local alerts on your device
- Get local breaking news and updates sent to your email inbox
Robert Steven Wright, seen in photos close to the time of Renee Sweeney's murder in January 1998, is on trial for second-degree murder in Sudbury. (File)
As such a high-profile case, she said she was constantly reminded of what happened to Renee.
“I had to look at that jacket that was covered in the blood of my sister and be reminded of the brutality,” Kim said, a reference to the poster of the jacket Wright wore that police released during their investigation.
“I'm asking him to sentence him to the maximum sentence possible. We have lost 25 years of our life. He should get 25 years to think about what he's done.”
WRIGHT MAINTAINS HIS INNOCENCE
Wright spoke briefly at Friday’s hearing, again denying he was responsible for the crime.
“I would like to express my sincere sympathy to Renee's family and friends for what you've had to go through in losing a loved one,” he said.
“I empathize…. with their sadness and loss. However I am not responsible. I did not kill Renee Sweeney. That is the truth.”
SENTENCING RECOMMENDATIONS
His defence attorney, Michael Lacy, argued Wright should be eligible for parole after serving 10 years.
“In our submission, that is the appropriate eligibility for Mr. Wright,” Lacy said.
“The recommendations of the jury represented a misunderstanding of the instructions you gave him – or they demonstrated a lack of judicious in what is appropriate parole eligibility.”
The high-profile nature of the trial may have “influenced” the jury recommendations, Lacy added.
The Jan. 27, 1998, murder of Renee Sweeney, 23, took place in an era when security cameras weren’t everywhere, as they are today. The killer managed, in broad daylight, to commit the crime and leave the video store without being caught on tape. (File photo)
The attack was clearly not premeditated, he said, and Wright was only 18 at the time. Since it happened, he has not gotten into trouble or behaved in an anti-social manner.
“I submit to your honour that he comes from a family that is going to be there and support him throughout this process,” Lacy said.
“The fact that the last 25 years and his pro-social involvement in the community demonstrates that he is someone that can be returned to the community safely.”
Crown prosecutor Rob Parsons said the facts of the case supported a sentence of 18 years before parole eligibility.
He said Wright left Sweeney to die and caused endless agony to her family, all because he had been caught stealing.
“It was a robbery gone wrong,” Parsons said.
“But can (you) imagine doing that to another human being over money and pornographic materials?”
Justice Robbie Gordon is expected to announce his sentence at a hearing June 29 at 9 a.m.
CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca has been inside the courtroom for the entire trial, find previous coverage here.
Background
The brutal stabbing death of 23-year-old Renee Sweeney rocked the City of Sudbury to its core on Jan. 27, 1998.
Police searched for her killer for two decades and finally charged Robert Steven Wright, who was 18 years old at the time of the murder. He has been held in jail since his arrest in Dec. 2018.
After several delays, the trial began Feb. 21, 2023, just after the 25th anniversary of Sweeney's death.
Wright was convicted of second-degree murder on March 29, 2023.
CTV News Digital content producer Darren MacDonald continues to bring the latest details from the courtroom.
Follow our full coverage of the trial here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.