Manslaughter accused has no memory of fatal beating

Girlfriend was ‘already cold’ before 911 call

Manslaughter suspect Leo Harry Pantherbone was on an alcohol binge and doesn’t remember fatally beating his girlfriend, a prosecutor said Thursday.

Crown lawyer Darren Maloney told court that Pantherbone didn’t call emergency services until Janel Squirrel’s “body had already gone cold.”

Pantherbone, 46, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with Squirrel’s death.

Reading from a statement of agreed facts, Maloney said Pantherbone had asked his sister, Treena Wolfleg, to come to his home the afternoon of Nov. 3, 2015, because he thought Squirrel was not breathing.

Wolfleg then called 911 before turning the phone over to Pantherbone, the prosecutor said.

“Pantherbone confirmed Janel’s age and stated she is not breathing or awake,” Maloney said.

“He also stated that her body had already gone cold and becoming stiff with rigor mortis.”

EMS arrived within minutes and found Squirrel, 26, dead in Pantherbone’s room at a Calgary Dream Centre residence in northeast Calgary, Maloney said.

When police arrived Pantherbone provided a statement in which he explained finding Squirrel unresponsive, calling his sister and being in a fight with Squirrel the night before.

He also said they’d been drinking the night before and that Squirrel was a drug user.

“Mr. Pantherbone does not recall making these statements, but does not dispute that they were made,” Maloney told provincial court Judge Harry Van Harten.

In a subsequent interrogation the offender told police he had been sober for 18 months, but that ended a week prior to Squirrel’s beating death.

He said he and Squirrel had been drinking the night before and “the last few days were a blur.”

“He remembers waking up and Janel was not responsive and he panicked,” Maloney said.

“He stated he found her on the ground, face down and put her on the bed.”

An autopsy report said “the cause of death was a result of multiple blunt force trauma and presumed strangulation.”

Dr. Bamidele Adeagbo said Squirrel suffered multiple injuries to her head, neck and torso, including rib fractures and massive bleeding in the head.

Maloney said a red broom handle was found in the apartment in three broken pieces, two of which had the deceased’s blood on them.

The prosecutor said another tenant of the residence, Daniel Losier, said he had limited contact with Pantherbone and Squirrel between Oct. 30 and Nov. 3.

“He did note in the contact he had with them that it appeared as though Janel’s face had bruises around her cheek and eye that were getting worse,” Maloney said.

At the request of Maloney and defence lawyer Darren Mahoney, Van Harten ordered a “Gladue” report into Pantherbone’s aboriginal background as well a psychiatric assessment.

Sentencing submissions will be made in March.