Saskatchewan

2 homicides, 12 years apart: Regina man convicted of manslaughter for 2nd time

On Tuesday, a jury found Elwin Michael Goodpipe guilty of manslaughter at the Court of Queen's Bench in Regina. It wasn't the first time the man has been convicted for his role in a homicide.

Elwin Michael Goodpipe, convicted in 2016 homicide on Tuesday, was also convicted in 2004 killing

A courthouse in Regina with a sign that says "Court House."
The Crown is going to decide whether to pursue dangerous offender status for Elwin Michael Goodpipe, who now has a second manslaughter conviction on his criminal record. (CBC)

Elwin Michael Goodpipe is going back to prison for manslaughter, 12 years after he was found guilty for his role in an earlier homicide.

And although the gun involved in the killing was not actually in Goodpipe's hands in either fatal shooting, he was convicted of manslaughter in both cases.

On Tuesday, a jury in Regina's Court of Queen's Bench found Goodpipe guilty of manslaughter in the March 29, 2016 fatal shooting of 56-year-old Andre Joseph Aubertin, in what the Crown called a robbery gone wrong. 

Goodpipe had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

At Goodpipe's latest trial, the Crown argued Aubertin was fatally shot during a robbery at Aubertin's home, planned by Goodpipe and Jerid Cole Azure. 

In January 2017, Azure pleaded guilty and was sentenced for manslaughter in connection with Aubertin's death. ​

The Crown will now decide whether to pursue dangerous offender status for Goodpipe, who already has a previous manslaughter conviction.

2004 homicide

Goodpipe pleaded guilty to manslaughter 12 years ago for his role in an unrelated crime — the fatal 2004 shooting of another Regina man.

Goodpipe had originally been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the kidnapping and shooting death of Wayne Gerald Friday.

The Crown's argument in that case was that Quinton Bitternose, an alleged member of the Native Syndicate street gang, orchestrated the killing of Friday.

Court heard it was an act of retaliation, because the victim had broken into Bitternose's home to try and steal his drugs.

Goodpipe was one of the men who backed Bitternose up, court heard during his trial on the 2004 charge. He and two other men armed themselves with masks, tire irons, car jacks and wrenches, while Bitternose had a sawed-off .22-calibre rifle.

The four men, plus one other, rushed Friday's home on Robinson Street. They beat Friday unconscious, dragged him outside and put him in the trunk of the getaway vehicle.

Not long after, Bitternose stopped the car and shot Friday, court heard during Bitternose's 2006 trial. One of the other men then took the gun and shot him again.

Friday slowly bled to death while confined in the vehicle in the early morning hours of Nov. 20, 2004, according to court documents. The vehicle was eventually set on fire and abandoned on the Piapot First Nation, just north of Regina.

Goodpipe was 23 years old when he was sentenced in 2006 to 11.5 years in prison, minus time served. 

The other man who also shot Friday pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility of parole for 10 years. 

Justice Jeff Kalmakoff hasn't yet sentenced Goodpipe for the killing of Andre Aubertin.

Goodpipe will be back in court on May 22.