Derek Saretzky has been found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder. A Lethbridge jury convicted him of the September 2015 deaths of two year old Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette, her father Terry Blanchette, and 69-year-old Hanne Meketech Wednesday.
Saretzky was also found guilty of causing an indignity to Hailey’s body. Jurors deliberated for around three hours.
The 24 year old will receive an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for at least 25 years. However, a sentencing hearing will be held Thursday morning to decide whether he should receive consecutive sentences for each murder.
The jury unanimously recommended he serve three consecutive 25 year parole ineligibilities on his life sentence, but the decision will be up to the judge.
Meketech was first found dead in her mobile home in Coleman on September 9th, 2015. Blanchette was found dead in his Blairmore home five days later, and an Amber Alert was issued for Hailey. Her remains were found in a rural area on September 15th.
Story by Erica Fisher.