SENTENCE ANNOUNCED
Dalhousie medical student receives life in prison for murder conviction
William Sandeson arranged a drug deal to kill a fellow university student and steal nine kilograms of marijuana, a Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge said Tuesday before sentencing the former medical student and track athlete to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
Sandeson was charged two years ago with first-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Halifax resident Taylor Samson, a physics student at Dalhousie University whose body has yet to be found.
“Where’s Taylor, Will?” Samson’s mother Linda Boutilier shouted to Sandeson as he was escorted out of the courtroom.
The sentence and parole eligibility period are automatic for a conviction of first-degree murder, though Sandeson was given credit for 693 days in custody.
When asked by Justice Josh Arnold if he would like to address the court, the 24-year-old shook his head, and in a hushed tone replied, “No, my Lord.”
Samson’s brother, 22-yearold Connor Samson, told the court the crime has left him feeling lost and scared.
“I’m afraid to lose someone who’s really close to me,” he said in a victim impact statement.
His voice broke as he spoke about his older brother, saying he now fears for the family’s safety. Sandeson, sporting a buzz-cut and a closely cropped beard, appeared emotionless and stared in the direction of Connor Samson as he read the statement during the sentencing hearing.
Arnold said it was on Aug. 15, 2015 that Taylor Samson went to Sandeson’s downtown Halifax apartment to sell nine kilograms of marijuana for $40,000 as part of a prearranged deal.
Samson was last seen alive on a video recording captured by Sandeson’s surveillance system that night.