Court ups charges in death of Meika Jordan
Alberta’s top court has overturned the second-degree murder conviction of Marie Magoon and Spencer Jordan in the death of his daughter, instead convicting them of firstdegree murder.
In a unanimous decision released Thursday, the Alberta Court of Appeal agreed with the Crown, ruling the couple killed six-yearold Meika Jordan while unlawfully confining her.
“Their continued illegal domination of the victim extended beyond the final, fatal blow, or blows, and was part of a continuous sequence of events that culminated in Meika’s murder,” two of the three judges wrote.
The appeal judges rejected calls by lawyers for the couple for a new trial.
As a result of the ruling, they will each receive automatic life sentences without parole for a minimum of 25 years.
“To make that stick is a huge thing for us and I think for the justice system itself,” Meika’s mother, Kyla Woodhouse, said of the upgraded conviction.
“We had prepared for the worst,” added Brian Woodhouse, Kyla’s husband and Meika’s stepfather. “To know that there’s a system of checks and balances in place … appeals work for the system, as well as against it.”
Trial Crown prosecutors Susan Pepper and Hyatt Mograbee said the case involved a lot of hard work from many people in their office.
“We are very pleased with the court’s decision and we are encouraged by the potential legal implications for cases involving child homicides,” they said in a statement. “We sincerely hope that Meika Jordan’s family gains some comfort from this decision.”
The couple was convicted of second-degree murder last year in connection with the torture and beating death of the little girl in 2011.
In sentencing both to life in prison without parole for a minimum 17 years in September 2015, Justice Rosemary Nation said the girl’s killing was “beyond comprehension.”
“Words cannot describe the egregious nature of this crime,” Nation said.
The Woodhouses said the trial and appeal process was a constant mental and financial toll on the family.
With the new sentence and an appeal denied, they feel they can begin to move forward.
“That all stops now,” Brian said. “Now we finally have our chance to just be a regular family.”
Brian said the decision comes during a hard month for the family with the anniversary of Meika’s death falling a few weeks before the holidays, calling the sentence “our own personal Christmas miracle.”
Before Nation’s sentencing decision, tears flowed freely in the packed courtroom as survivors of the slain girl read victim impact statements to her killers.
And the tears continued as both the girl’s father, Jordan, and stepmother, Magoon, offered words of apology for their roles in her death after hearing from Meika’s mom and others.
“How does one put into words the loss of a child, my child, my baby girl?” mom Kyla Woodhouse said of the Nov. 14, 2011, death of Meika.
Woodhouse said she will never get to experience the joys of Meika, such as her smile, her laugh or just watching her play.
“These things have been stolen from me in the worst way possible, by someone I once trusted.”
Both Magoon and Jordan were convicted in June 2015 in the little girl’s beating death.
The child was tortured over a period of four days before the couple called 911 when she collapsed in the basement of their northeast Calgary home the night of Nov. 13, 2011.
When paramedics arrived she had no pulse and wasn’t breathing.
Both Magoon and Jordan expressed remorse at their sentencing hearing.
“I feel a lot of shame and I deeply regret my actions,” said Magoon, who was earlier described in a presentence report as showing little remorse.
Said Jordan: “I’m sorry for everything that everybody’s gone through. She died in my care, under my roof, my responsibility.
“I loved Meika, still do, miss her every single day and if I could do anything to bring her back, I would.”