A man found guilty of the premeditated murder of 26-year-old Alex Knatchbell on Humpback Road in Langford in 2020 was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole for at least 25 years at a hearing on Monday, August 26.
Alex Knatchbell, a Sooke man who the judge said was a known drug dealer, was lured to a remote area of Humpback Road by Damien Medwedrich late in the evening of January 20, 2020 and shot 12 times while sitting in his Nissan Pathfinder.
Medwedrich was arrested ten days after the shooting in Prince George. He was in possession of the gun that matched the one used to kill Knatchbell.
The court heard evidence from the Knatchbell family, who said his murder had “torn the family apart”.
His teenage sister, whose name is protected by a publication ban, described feeling depressed, anxious and suicidal after her brother's death.
“When Alex was murdered, it felt like time stopped. Nothing looked the same, nothing felt the same and nothing would ever be the same again,” she told the court. “I can't count the number of times I screamed at the top of my lungs, begging my brother to come back, crying for hours, longing for Alex to walk in the door and tell me it was all just a dream.”
His mother, whose name is also under a publication ban, said she was at work on her birthday when she was informed by police of her son's murder.
“This changed my birthday forever. Today I was told that my son died,” she said. “That day everything was dark. I couldn't breathe. I felt like I had to run away, but I didn't know where to. I couldn't understand the words anymore.”
She reported that she had not received adequate support during the COVID-19 pandemic and that her family had felt isolated in their grief. She said she had to twice stop her husband, Knatchbell's stepfather, from committing suicide as his mental health worsened. The couple eventually separated, which she said was a result of Knatchbell's murder.
“I couldn't write enough words for days about the impact this has had on my family. And it continues, it will never end,” she said.
The family says he was close to his family, often went on camping trips and game nights with the family, and had a girlfriend who they hoped he would marry.
Medvedrich declined to make a final statement in court.
With files from Mark Page
