A Murderer In BC Who Killed 2 People Is Now Eligible For Parole 5 Years Sooner

Editor's note: Narcity previously reported that Maurio Salehi had his sentence cut by five years. This was incorrect. The Parole Board of Canada said it was, in fact, his eligibility for parole consideration that was reduced.

A Vancouver murderer is now eligible for parole five years sooner, due to health reasons, after he brutally killed two people.

According to the judgment by the Court of Appeal for British Columbia, from January 4, 2022, the man had his parole eligibility reduced by five years because of his Parkinson's disease advancement.

Maurio Salehi pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in 2019 and was sentenced to life in prison, without the option of parole for 20 years. The judgement said that he appealed to reduce his sentence, in order to be eligible for parole sooner.

The judge who sentenced Salehi described the crime as "brutal," killing two "defenceless victims."

Salehi murdered his former domestic partner and a friend, at his former partner's house at night while the victims were sleeping. The judgement said that the crime was committed "for reasons apparently related to the appellant’s obsession with Ms. Gabalis, his former domestic partner."

After the murderers, he "made an effort to conceal his crime by disposing of his bloody clothing and feigning concern about the well‑being of one victim," the judgement added.

At the time of his sentencing, the judge was aware that Salehi had Parkinson’s disease and acknowledged that he would "face additional challenges while incarcerated due to his ill-health and the anticipated deterioration in his condition."

The judge also noted that he "had been receiving appropriate medical care, and was working and socializing in prison," said the judgement.

The appeal court judge agreed that the murders were "particularly violent," but noted that the original sentence was appropriate only when leaving aside "mitigating factors."

These mitigating factors include the fact that Salehi has a degenerative disease, and due to that he will "experience hardship in prison beyond that experienced by other inmates," before he is eligible for parole.

Considering this, the appeal court judge substituted the original sentence for "a sentence of life imprisonment with no possibility of parole for 15 years."

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.