Guilty pleas spare family pain of a trial
Killer facing at least 35 years in jail for murder of mom and five- year- old
It was a short, clinical court hearing that only hinted at the enormity of Wilson Clorina’s crime, the depth of his betrayal and the gravity of the sentence he faces.
Clorina pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of murder in connection with the stabbing deaths in 2013 of Chona Manzano, 35, and her five- year- old son Gabrial — members of his extended family who sponsored his application to come to Canada from the Philippines for a better life.
“We give him everything. We helped his family,” Clorina’s cousin, Erwin Manzano, said outside court.
“This is how he paid me: He took my wife and he took my son.”
And for his crimes, Clorina is facing a minimum of 35 years in prison as one of the first Canadians sentenced under new provisions that allow the courts to hand multiple killers consecutive terms for each killing.
Clorina, 28, entered the pleas on the eve of what was to be a threeweek trial on two charges of firstdegree murder. As part of a joint submission between the Crown and defence, Clorina pleaded guilty to first- degree murder in Gabrial’s killing, but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second- degree murder in Chona’s slaying.
First- degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years; second- degree murder has a minimum of 10 years of parole ineligibility. Until recently, multiple killers would be sentenced to the terms concurrently, but changes to the Criminal Code passed by the federal government allow those terms to be imposed consecutively.
If Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Kristine Eidsvik accepts the joint recommendation by the Crown and defence, Clorina will serve at least 35 years in prison before he is eligible for parole.
“That’s what we were praying for — that we’re not going to go through the trial because we don’t want our family to go through everything again,” Erwin Manzano’s sister, Emmylou Nolasco, said outside court.
“This is justice.”
Clorina didn’t address the court, only replying “Guilty” as the charges were read aloud, and answering “Yes,” when Eidsvik asked him if he understood the implication of the guilty pleas.
Outside court, defence lawyer Kim Ross said the guilty pleas and the sentencing proposal are evidence of his client’s remorse.
“In Mr. Clorina’s instructions to me, he didn’t want to put them through ( a trial) and he was accepting responsibility for the offences,” Ross said.
Clorina also pleaded guilty to one count of touching a girl under the age of 16 for a sexual purpose. The conviction stems from repeated abuse of an underage girl over a four- year period, beginning when she was 11. Her identity is protected by a publication ban.
The particulars of the case weren’t read aloud during Wednesday’s brief hearing, but an agreed statement of facts filed as an exhibit detailed how Clorina killed Chona and Gabrial in their home on Evanspark Circle N. W. on May 16, 2013.
Although the document doesn’t specify what sparked the crime, affidavits previously filed in court by police alleged Clorina killed Chona because she may have learned he was sexually abusing the girl.
According to the agreed statement of facts, Clorina — who came to Canada under the federal live- in caregiver program and at one time looked after the Manzanos’ three children — obtained a key to their house and confronted Chona when she was home alone with Gabrial.
Clorina admitted to grabbing a kitchen knife and repeatedly stabbing Chona after throwing her to the floor. At five foot three and 125 pounds, Chona “was no match” for her killer, who is five inches taller and 50 pounds heavier.
Clorina’s killing of Gabrial is considered first- degree murder because it carried the added elements of planning and deliberation. After he murdered Chona, Clorina locked the front door of the house and decided to kill Gabrial because the boy witnessed the crime.
“Mr. Clorina knew that Gabrial Manzano was old enough ( he had turned five in December 2012), to tell the police what had happened and who had done it,” read the agreed statement of facts.
Gabrial fled upstairs and made it to the master bedroom, where he may have tried in vain to defend himself before Clorina overpowered him.
“At some point, he seems to have armed himself with an orange plastic back- scratcher,” the agreed statement of facts read.
Clorina, who had cut his hands while stabbing the victims, then spread his blood around the scene in an attempt to make it appear he had struggled with a group of intruders. Clorina then fled in Edwin Manzano’s car, which was parked in the garage, and made cellphone calls and texts to family members, implicating a friend of his in the killings.
Police used signals from Clorina’s cellphone to locate him on a rural road outside Didsbury, where officers arrested him.
The case has been adjourned until Tuesday.
“Thank you, Mr. Clorina, for your guilty pleas in this matter and sparing a long and painful trial for your family,” said Eidsvik, who then turned to Edwin Manzano and his sister.
“To the family: I’m very sorry for your loss,” the judge said.
We give him everything. We helped his family. This is how he paid me: He took my wife and he took my son.