Man behind deadly shooting rampage in Faro, Yukon, sentenced to life in prison, 25 years without parole

The man behind a deadly shooting rampage in Faro, Yukon, three years ago has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. 

Yukon Supreme Court Deputy Justice Elizabeth Hughes handed down the sentence to Ralph Bernard Shaw in Whitehorse Thursday morning. 

Shaw, 64, pleaded guilty this week to first-degree murder for gunning down his estranged wife, 42-year-old Saengduean Honchaiyaphum, outside her home on Oct. 26, 2021.

The charge comes with an automatic life sentence and 25-year parole ineligibility period.

Shaw also pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for killing 73-year-old Patrick McCracken in the entryway of his home during that same shooting rampage, and aggravated assault for injuring Honchaiyaphum's new partner. 

Second-degree murder also comes with an automatic life sentence but a parole ineligibility period that can range from 10 to 25 years.

Hughes gave Shaw 17-and-a-half years of parole ineligibility for the second-degree murder — less than the 25 the Crown asked for, but more than the 15 requested by the defence. She also sentenced Shaw to 10 years for the aggravated assault, in line with the defence's requested penalty but four years short of the maximum allowed under the law and which the Crown had sought.

The sentences will be served concurrently, with the first-degree murder sentence effectively taking precedence. 

Hughes described Honchaiyaphum's murder as a "tragic and senseless death," and noted that McCracken was murdered over a "perceived slight." Outlining the reasons for her sentencing decision, Hughes listed off a dozen aggravating factors in the case, including intimate partner violence, the murders happening within a span of about 15 minutes and Shaw shooting Honchaiyaphum's partner multiple times and then pursuing him. Shaw also showed "complete indifference" for the safety of others as he shot into buildings around town, Hughes said, and inflicted serious trauma on both individuals and Faro as a whole. 

The aggravating factors were somewhat mitigated by Shaw's guilty pleas, Hughes said, which saved witnesses from needing to testify at a trial. Shaw's lack of a prior criminal record and his various health issues were also mitigating, she said, though to a much lesser degree.

More than 20 people were in the courtroom gallery for the decision on Thursday. A number of people also watched the proceedings remotely by video link, including from Faro.

Shaw showed no visible reaction as Hughes read her decision, nor as he was led out of the courtroom afterwards. 

Besides the prison time, Shaw is subject to a number of orders including one that prohibits him from having any contact with 10 of the people affected by his crimes. 

The Crown withdrew the seven other charges against Shaw, and both Crown and defence signed off on a order permitting the RCMP to destroy the rifle and handgun Shaw used in the rampage.

'I do feel justice was served today'

Speaking to CBC News after the sentencing, McCracken's wife, Barb, said she felt a sense of relief. 

"I'm glad it's over and [I'm] ready to go home," she said, remembering her husband as a "great man" who was generous and always helping others. 

"I do feel justice was served today. I'm happy with the outcome of it all."  

Honchaiyaphum's longtime friend, Kara Went, also said she was "very relieved."  

"Our biggest fear was that [Shaw] would come back and harm more people in our community, so there's a huge sense of relief that he will never, probably, leave prison due to his age and health," Went said. 

However, she also said she was sad because Honchaiyaphum had less than three months of "freedom" from Shaw before he murdered her. 

Shaw and Honchaiyaphum met while he was teaching in her home country of Thailand in the early 2000s. Went helped Honchaiyaphum leave what she described as the extremely restrictive, controlling relationship in early August 2021. 

"I wish that we were at the three-year mark right now of her being free from that," she said, describing Honchaiyaphum as "the most loving mother" and an "incredible friend" with "a really sneaky sense of humour."

"She would just kind of say things under her breath and you're like, 'Whoa, Sang, where did you come up with that?'" Went recalled. 

"And she would always apologize for her English skills but her English was just fine and she was just incredibly loving and kind." 

Went, who travelled from Faro to Whitehorse for the proceedings, spent most of her time in the courtroom gallery crocheting blankets. 

She said she intended to donate them to Kaushee's Place, a transition home in Whitehorse for women, gender-diverse people and their children and where Honchaiyaphum sought refuge after first leaving Shaw.

"I hope that these blankets can go to some other women facing domestic violence," Went said. 

"It felt good to keep my hands busy while I was in court and do something nice for, maybe, other women that just need to feel strong in the next step that they're taking in their own lives."