Graphic content warning: Readers may find details of this story disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised. In a deeply emotional day in a Saskatoon court room, some of Lee Perkins’ final moments were shown during the sentencing for one of the men responsible for the 25-year old’s torture and death. The graphic video, recorded by the two men charged in connection to the death, showed Perkins tied up and bloodied, as his fingers were individually sawed off with a knife as Perkins cried begged for the brutality to stop. Perkins also experienced a dislocated elbow during the torture. Edin Vrazalica will serve a total of 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter after originally facing a first-degree murder charge. The 37-year-old also pleaded guilty to indignity to human remains after a joint submission from the crown and defence. “A 20-year sentence is high in Saskatchewan. It’s reflective of the monstrous nature of this crime ... The victim impact statements are compelling. They were, very articulate and I know the court considered them in coming to their decision,” Crown Prosecutor Cory Bliss said Tuesday. The background During sentencing, the court heard the history between the victim and the accused, eventually leading to the brutal killing. Perkins and Vrazalica met while working at the same Calgary construction company and the two became friends. Vrazalica later became involved in the trafficking of drugs from Vancouver to Saskatoon in a U-Haul truck, which was later seized by police. The drugs came in the form of brown liquid inside bottles. It is believed that a conflict arose between Perkins, Vrazalica and another man facing charges, Dillon Singler. Court heard that Vrazalica and Singler mistakenly believed that Perkins was responsible for some of the drugs going missing. It was this incident that ultimately led to Perkins being tortured. Eventually, Perkins suffered a deep cut across his neck which exposed his spinal cord. CCTV video showed another person connected to the crime, Chantal McLaren, leaving a Saskatoon Canadian Tire with the 45-gallon tote which Perkins’ body was later found in. McLaren previously pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact, with her sentencing set for a later date. Additional CCTV footage from a Home Depot showed Vrazalica and Singler purchasing cleaning supplies. When police searched the home, Perkins’ body was found to be stuffed in the tote and wrapped in plastic, with his head partially severed. Perkins’ family address the court The four victim impact statements read aloud in court described Perkins as a young man full of promise, looking to create a life for himself. “He wanted to figure out where he belonged and build something he could be proud of,” Natasha Perkins, Lee’s sister-in-law told the court. Lee Perkins’ mother, father, brother, and sister-in-law detailed how he described his perpetrator to be a friend. Nanette Perkins, Lee’s mother shared that upon learning of Vrazalica’s criminal record, she expressed concern to her son. “I instantly said, Lee, stay away from him,” Nanette Perkins said. Perkins’ relatives described how the 25-year-old developed ‘a dark cloud’ upon befriending Vrazalica, and there was concern he had become involved in drug use at that point. As they wore purple shirts with the victim’s smiling face on the front, and the words ‘Justice for Lee’ on the back, Perkins’ parents tearfully described how Lee’s death has drastically impacted their lives. “The day I found out my brother was murdered was the hardest day of my life, until I learned how he was killed,” Austin Perkins, Lee’s brother said. Nanette Perkins’ told the court how she learned of her son’s death on her birthday, which she now experiences as a grim anniversary of the worst moment of her life each year. “Just another reminder of the torturous demise my sweet boy went through ... all alone, terrified, petrified with no one to help him,” Nanette Perkins said. The family urged the judge to sentence Vrazalica harshly for his role in Perkins’ death. “This merciless behaviour can’t be tolerated. No one who butchers another human should be allowed to walk among us,” Cameron Perkins, Lee’s father said. After the court heard and saw recordings taken by Perkins’ perpetrators during the torture, and additional photo and video evidence, the judge accepted the joint submission, of 20 years in prison for manslaughter, and time served for the charge of indignity to human remains. “Mr. Vrazalica is genuinely sorry for what he did and he’s going to have a number of years to think about that and to try to make amends with himself and with anybody else he can make amends to,” defence lawyer Chris Murphy said. Strong words from the judge When given an opportunity to address the court, which included Perkins’ family, Vrazalica offered an apology and cited his substance abuse issues as a significant factor in the crime. “This is an atrocity. And Mr. Vrazalica understands that. And he said himself, that he let his friend down. That’s obviously an understatement,” Murphy said. While delivering the sentence, Justice Danyliuk described the matter as: “One of the worst cases I have ever seen, and I have seen some terrible things,” adding that he struggled to find the right words to properly express how atrocious the crime was, and how it was “difficult for normal thinking people to imagine this torture.” The judge highlighted the fact that Vrazalica has a criminal record dating back to 2006. “Since your teens, the only thing you have been devoted to ... is crime,” Danyliuk said. Danyliuk emphasized that members of the justice system, public, and media all watched the deeply disturbing video and photo evidence as it was displayed on the screen in court. However, Vrazaliuk was the only one to look away for the duration of the evidence presentation. “You looked down,” Danyliuk said. “You could not look at and could not face what you did.”
