Warning: contains graphic details some readers may find disturbing.
The Edmonton man who brutally murdered a seven-year-old girl in her own home will need to serve 15 years in prison before he is eligible for parole.
David Michel Moss was found guilty of second-degree murder more than a year ago for the 2020 killing of Bella Rose Desrosiers, a sentence that carries an automatic life sentence.
On Friday, Court of Kings Bench Justice Steven Mandziuk called the crime “shocking, horrific and sickening” as he recounted the “horrific, gruesome and prolonged” pre-planned attack on the young girl.
“A strong response is warranted. That response is reflected in the life sentence imposed on the offender,” Mandziuk said in his 19-page decision.
But for the young girl’s family, the 15-year parole ineligibility is far from the 20 years the Crown had argued for – which was closer to the maximum of 25.
“I’ll never have any type of closure,” Bella’s mother Melissa Francis told reporters outside the courthouse shortly after the decision. “We were hoping for closer to the maximum for parole ineligibility, which we didn’t get.”
Justice Mandziuk recognized there is no sentence that would be enough to give back to Bella’s family what was lost, stressing in his decision he needed to proportionate and take in the “moral blameworthiness” of the offender.
Moss was in a cannabis-induced psychosis when he took scissors to the young girl’s neck, but court had previously heard how he still understood his actions were wrong. Moss testified that he was having an “awakening” and had to act out his fears and inflict trauma to help others “ascend.”
The tattoo artist had increased his cannabis consumptions in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when he was forced to close his business, suddenly stopping in the days leading up to the homicide. Doctors had told the court the increased use and withdrawal is likely what pushed Moss into the psychosis.
Because the offender’s mental state was most likely drug induced, Mandziuk decided against Moss’ attempt to be found not criminally responsible in his April 2023 guilty verdict.
But the judge says Moss’ previous mental-health diagnosis and childhood trauma, along with the offender’s remorse in the courtroom, were reasons for a lesser parole eligibility. He also highlighted how Moss had no previous criminal record of history of violence or drug-induced psychosis.
WATCH: CityNews Connect: Bella’s Legacy
For Bella’s mother, the court process has felt long and drawn out, impacting her ability to truly grieve her daughter.
“I’m just looking forward to be given space to grieve her now that it is over,” said Francis.
She is now looking to honour her daughter’s legacy, organizing a Butterfly Hearts Mental Wellness retreat to help other victims of homicide.