Whitehorse Daily Star

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Christopher Cornell

RCMP search for offender

The RCMP are asking for the public’s help in locating ex-Yukoner Christopher Cornell after he failed to return to his halfway house in Vancouver on March 22.

By Whitehorse Star on April 8, 2020

The RCMP are asking for the public’s help in locating ex-Yukoner Christopher Cornell after he failed to return to his halfway house in Vancouver on March 22.

Cornell, 38, is a federal offender on statutory release following convictions of attempted murder, the aggravated assault of a peace officer, robbery, discharging a restricted/prohibited firearm with intent, and assault with a weapon.

For his role in the violent robbery of a Haines Junction store, high-speed chase down the Alaska Highway, and shooting of an RCMP truck, Cornell was sentenced to 11 1/2 years in prison in 2014.

He is wanted Canada-wide for not complying with his curfew as mandated by his release conditions.

He is described as Indigenous, five feet, seven inches tall, weighing 168 lbs., with short black hair and brown eyes.

He was last seen wearing grey jogging pants, a grey hoodie and black shoes.

“Cornell has ties to Whitehorse and it is believed he may travel back into the territory,” the RCMP said Tuesday.

“Yukon RCMP cautions the public if sighted, do not attempt to apprehend Christopher Cornell, and immediately call 911.”

Comments (15)

Up 1 Down 0

YukonMax on Apr 15, 2020 at 7:19 am

@call out all racists...You mean like a ghost or what?

Up 2 Down 0

Calling out the racist... on Apr 14, 2020 at 9:18 pm

Imagine if he had a darker complexion... I wonder what the comments would have read like then?

Up 17 Down 2

Wow! on Apr 13, 2020 at 10:18 pm

Sentenced to 41 years total time that gets reduced to 11 and 1/2 years through a mix of concurrent and consecutive mumbo-jumbo which is then further reduced by a credit of 1.5 to 1 remand custody time which is further reduced by our system of parole.

Holy moly - We need to put these people in charge of the budget. Maybe Trudeau is on to something with the budget will balance itself - He just needs to put the right people on the math!

Up 3 Down 32

Calling out all racists on Apr 13, 2020 at 8:15 pm

It would be interesting to see what the comments would look like if this person had a slightly ligher complexion?

Up 26 Down 1

Frank Lee DiPressing-Schmidt on Apr 12, 2020 at 11:24 am

Re Canadian Justice Math -

Do not forget the 1.5 or 2 to 1 calculation for pretrial custody along with the Gladue discount for Aboriginal/Indigenous offenders.
Read Citation: R. v. Cornell, 2014 YKSC 54 on the PUBLIC, Yukon Territorial Court Website, pg 25-27, by Justice Gower:

“I also accept the joint submission that a global sentence of imprisonment of 11 1⁄2 years is fit. As well, I agree that Mr. Cornell’s pre-sentence custody should be credited at the rate of 1.5- to-1.

*Regardless of the intent by the offender they are judged to be meaningfully engaged in programming even though they are there just for the “show”. You probably would not be surprised at what constitutes evidence of some remorse or regret or some indication of wanting to change one’s life in a Canadian Court of Law. There are usually 4 parties to the delusion: The Judge, the Crown, the Defence Counsel, and the defendant.

CONCLUSION
[79] On the eight-count indictment, I sentence Mr. Cornell to the following terms of imprisonment:

 Count 1, attempted murder of Cpl. MacKellar - 11 1⁄2 years;

 Count 2, attempted murder of Shane Oakley - 11 1⁄2 years concurrent;

 Count 5, aggravated assault of Cpl. MacKellar - 5 years concurrent to Counts 1 and 2;

 Count 8, robbery of Madley’s General Store - 4 years consecutive to Count 5, but concurrent to Counts 1 and 2;

 Count 3, discharging a firearm with intent to prevent arrest - 4 years concurrent;

 Count 4, discharging a firearm at an RCMP vehicle - 4 years concurrent; and,

 Count 7, assault with a weapon on Frank Parent - 1 year concurrent.

Page: 26

Total: 11 1⁄2 years imprisonment

[80] Count 6 is stayed pursuant to R. v. Kienapple, [1975] 1 S.C.R. 729.

[81] Pursuant to s. 719(3.1) of the Criminal Code, I order that Mr. Cornell be credited
for each day of his pre-sentence custody at the rate of 1.5-to-1.

Up 28 Down 1

Miles Epanhauser on Apr 11, 2020 at 6:34 pm

This guy is bad news. If he shows up here hope people report info to the RCMP.

Up 40 Down 2

Yukon56 on Apr 10, 2020 at 6:16 am

March 22 he went missing and we just hear about it??

Up 38 Down 2

Moose101 on Apr 9, 2020 at 5:11 pm

He will be found in a buddies house and absolutely no charges will be laid for hiding this dangerous convict.

Up 36 Down 9

JC on Apr 9, 2020 at 3:57 pm

Canadian Justice Math: Canada needs American Judges.

Up 58 Down 1

Anie on Apr 9, 2020 at 3:26 pm

The system lost Asp and Larue from Vancouver halfway houses too. A Yukoner ended up dead, with one of those two convicted of manslaughter and the other of murder. Maybe if we are going to release felons part way through their sentences, we should keep better track of them?

Up 66 Down 3

Canadian Justice Math on Apr 9, 2020 at 9:51 am

Hmm...
"Cornell was sentenced to 11 1/2 years in prison in 2014."
That doesn't add up. I mean I know that we coddle all our prisoners and they are usually released after 1/2 a sentence but you'd think someone who tried killing people would actually do most of his sentence in a prison?!?

Up 26 Down 3

JC on Apr 8, 2020 at 6:09 pm

Matt, don't forget the hoody.

Up 45 Down 4

JC on Apr 8, 2020 at 6:09 pm

Another revolving door success.

Up 45 Down 20

LL on Apr 8, 2020 at 4:03 pm

Ah yes, another 'born and raised' individual.
Yukoners must be so proud.

Up 40 Down 7

Matt on Apr 8, 2020 at 2:49 pm

Of course he was wearing grey jogging pants. What else?

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