The man convicted in the gruesome murder of two brothers from the South Okanagan has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 18 years.
A jury convicted Wade Cudmore, 35, of second-degree murder in September for killing Erick and Carlo Fryer and dumping their bodies in a remote area near Naramata in May 2021.
At trial, jurors heard Cudmore used a hunting knife, a roofing hammer and a pump-action shotgun in the killings. Their bodies were later discovered by a hiker.
Despite his conviction, Cudmore continued to maintain his innocence during a sentencing hearing on Monday.
“I’m sorry for the Fryer brothers being murdered and for their family but my story hasn’t changed,” he said.
“I testified that I had nothing to do with the murders.”
Second-degree murder carries an automatic sentence of life in prison under the Criminal Code, with no chance of parole for between 10 and 25 years.
A B.C. Supreme Court judge in Vancouver accepted Crown’s submission, calling for the 18-year parole limitation. Cudmore’s defence had sought 12 years.
Cudmore’s co-accused in the killings, Anthony Graham, remains at large.
More to come…