Two men found guilty of manslaughter in death of Jane Creba

TORONTO, Ont. – A jury returned manslaughter verdicts, Thursday, against two men in the fatal shooting of Toronto teen Jane Creba on Boxing Day 2005.

Louis Woodcock, 23, and Tyshaun Barnett, 22, had pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in Creba’s death.

The two were also found guilty on four counts each of aggravated assault.

Creba, 15, was fatally shot while shopping with her mother and sister on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto — the Grade 10 student was caught in the crossfire of a gun battle between rival gangs that also wounded six bystanders.

The verdict comes after jurors asked the judge Wednesday for clarification on the timeline of events.

Barnett’s lawyer, Christopher Hicks, said his client didn’t want anyone to get hurt and didn’t want an innocent person to die.

Hicks said he’s contemplating an appeal.

A sentencing hearing has been set for April 22. A manslaughter conviction carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

In late December, 27-year-old Jeremiah Valentine pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Creba’s death and was given a life sentence with no chance of parole for 12 years.

In 2008, a jury found Jorrell Simpson-Rowe guilty of second-degree murder in Creba’s death.

Simpson-Rowe, who was 17 at the time of the killing, was sentenced as an adult rather than a youth. The decision meant he received an automatic life sentence, with no chance of parole for seven years.

Creba’s death sent waves of outrage rippling through the city and beyond with dismay over the random shooting on downtown Toronto’s busiest street on the busiest shopping day of the year.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today