‘Heinous’: Retired Alberta butcher gets no jail time for dismembering woman’s body

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Warning: this story accommodates disturbing particulars. 

Heinous. A monster. Devil’s helper.

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These had been among the phrases utilized by family and friends of Treasa Lynn Oberly to explain the person who dismembered and burned the beloved Beaumont mom’s physique.

However Joseph Donald Skelly, a 69-year-old retired butcher from Beaumont, won’t serve jail time for the crime.

Skelly was sentenced within the Courtroom of King’s Bench Thursday to a two-year conditional sentence order on a rely of providing an indignity to the physique of Oberly. The sentence contains 12 months of home arrest, adopted by a interval of curfew.

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The Crown had requested Skelly serve three-and-a-half years in jail. Skelly was out on bail earlier than the sentencing.

Skelly’s son Kenneth Skelly — Oberly’s boyfriend — is charged with second-degree homicide in her dying. That case is subsequent in courtroom on Aug. 16 for a preliminary listening to.

Justice John Little acknowledged his choice won’t fulfill Oberly’s pals and family members, however mentioned the Crown nonetheless put ahead a high quality argument.

Destroyed proof

Joseph Skelly pleaded responsible Dec. 19 to serving to get rid of Oberly’s physique.

In line with an agreed assertion of information, Kenneth Skelly arrived at his father’s residence on the night of July 15, 2023 — someday after she was reported lacking — and advised him Oberly’s physique was within the storage.

Joseph Skelly, who was drunk, agreed to destroy the physique to forestall it from being recognized by investigators. Over the course of the night time, Joseph Skelly dismembered Oberly’s physique, burning among the stays in a yard burn barrel. Pondering he was too drunk to drive, he waited till the next day to get rid of the remaining, transporting them in his truck to an space close to Whitecourt and burying them in a shallow grave.

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Joseph Skelly then returned residence, burned the tarps used to hide Oberly’s physique and cleaned his storage and automobile.

RCMP approached Joseph Skelly lower than per week later. He initially mentioned Oberly was a “nasty particular person” and claimed she returned to america. He took different steps to hide the reality till July 24, 2023, when he admitted to RCMP what he had achieved and led them to the sphere in Whitecourt.

Oberly’s stays had been unidentifiable besides although DNA testing. Joseph Skelly admitted his actions “prevented investigators from figuring out the reason for (her) dying, which is suspected to be from a head wound.”

‘Worst doable selection’

Little heard sufferer affect statements from three of Oberly’s family members, who described the 40-year-old as a loving mom and pricey good friend.

“I don’t perceive how you could possibly do that to your grandchild’s mom,” good friend Zina Hinkley advised Joseph Skelly. “You aren’t an individual in my thoughts. You’re a monster, and I hope you by no means get the possibility to stay in society once more.”

Oberly’s mom mentioned Joseph Skelly handled her daughter “like a chunk of trash.” 

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“You might be Devil’s helper, and you’ll stay with Devil whenever you die,” she mentioned advised him. “I want nothing however so that you can be depressing for the remainder of your life.” 

Samantha, who requested her final identify not be used, mentioned she misses her good friend day-after-day. 

“She was my greatest assist and had the perfect solutions for all the pieces. She liked my youngsters like they had been her personal.”

Prosecutor Christina Darosa mentioned that whereas Skelly ought to obtain credit score for his responsible plea, his actions advantage jail time.

Not solely did the coverup deprive investigators of proof, Oberly’s family members should now “stay with the data of what was achieved to her.”

“This was not a fast and panicked course of,” she added. “At each alternative, the accused made the worst doable selection.”

She dismissed the defence request for a two-year conditional sentence order — to be served on home arrest and a curfew, adopted by probation — as “excessive.”

Nicole Stewart, Skelly’s defence lawyer, argued a sentence served locally was acceptable for the case. She mentioned the Crown failed to provide Skelly correct credit score for his responsible plea and expressions of regret.

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She mentioned Skelly had turn out to be an alcoholic and a “hermit” within the wake of his spouse’s dying from most cancers 12 years in the past and was appearing out of misguided “fatherly intuition.” He has since been attending Alcoholics Nameless and is seven months sober.

Stewart added as quickly as she turned Skelly’s lawyer, he indicated an intention to plead responsible.

9 of Skelly’s family and friends submitted letters on his behalf, describing him as neighbour, a household man and a well known member of the group. Skelly’s eldest son — who will not be Kenneth — mentioned his father loved a protracted profession with Costco and “assisted in opening virtually each Costco meat division” in Edmonton.

He mentioned his father was in a “fragile psychological state” on the time of the “tragedy.” 

Joseph Skelly himself apologized in a letter learn in courtroom by his lawyer.

“I don’t anticipate forgiveness, however for each single day I’ve left I’ll attempt to make amends, even when you don’t see them,” he mentioned. “I’m so, so sorry.” 

Little in the end agreed that permitting Skelly to serve his sentence locally wouldn’t endanger the general public.

“Mr. Skelly, you behave your self,” he concluded.

jwakefield@postmedia.com

twitter.com/jonnywakefield

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