Legebokoff Takes the Stand: CKPG News on His Testimony, Prince George, 2014

A CKPG News report from the day Cody Legebokoff testified at his murder trial, admitting he was "involved" in three women's deaths but blaming unnamed drug dealers.

Subject

Cody Alan Legebokoff

Recorded

August 26, 2014

Runtime

2:29

Content warning: Concerns the murders of three women and a 15-year-old girl; the report describes one killing (a blow with a pipe) in brief.

The Interview

This is a CKPG News report from Prince George, B.C., broadcast on August 26, 2014, the day Cody Legebokoff took the stand at his first-degree murder trial. It is not an interview with Legebokoff, and he is not heard: a CKPG reporter describes his testimony, and the report includes comments from a counselor supporting the victims' families. Under questioning by his own lawyer, Legebokoff admitted being "involved" in the deaths of three women but said that drug dealers he would not name had killed them.

Historical Context

Between October 2009 and November 2010, four women and girls were killed in and near Prince George: Jill Stuchenko, 35; Natasha Montgomery, 23, whose body has never been found; Cynthia Maas, 35; and Loren Leslie, 15. On November 27, 2010, an RCMP officer stopped Legebokoff's truck as it pulled out of a remote logging road near Vanderhoof; Loren Leslie's body was found along that road. He was charged with her murder that year and with the murders of the three women in October 2011.

Circumstances of the Recording

His jury trial in the B.C. Supreme Court at Prince George began on June 2, 2014. The Crown closed its case on August 1 after calling 93 witnesses. On August 26, his defense lawyer, James Heller, called him to testify. Several of the victims' relatives were in court to hear him.

What the Interview Covers

The report summarizes his testimony: that he was involved in the deaths of Jill Stuchenko, Cynthia Maas and Natasha Montgomery; that two drug dealers he called "X" and "Y" killed Stuchenko at a party at his home on Thanksgiving weekend 2009 because, he said, she owed them money; that he disposed of her clothes and purse; and that the other two women were also killed in his apartment by drug dealers. He said he would not name them because being known as a "rat" would endanger him in federal prison. A counselor speaks about supporting the families through the trial and about how hard it is for them to hear the details.

What Makes the Recording Significant

The report is a same-day local record of the account Legebokoff gave the jury. That account was rejected: on September 11, 2014, the jury found him guilty of all four counts of first-degree murder.

Archival Importance

CKPG, Prince George's local station, covered the trial day by day. This report and its companion from the next day record how the defense case was presented to the community where the murders took place.

Important Caveats

Everything reported of his testimony is his claim, and the jury rejected it. Legebokoff is not heard; the description of his testimony is the reporter's. The names of the counselor and the reporter are given in the report but their spellings have not been verified, so they are not used on the page. The transcript rests on a machine transcript only; no captions were available to compare.

Anchor: It was a major day in the high-profile multiple murder trial of Cody Legebokoff. Today, the Prince George man took the stand to defend himself against four first-degree murder charges. According to his lawyer, Legebokoff chose to testify to give his version of the story.

Reporter: The question of whether Cody Legebokoff would defend himself was answered within minutes. His defense lawyer, James Heller, called Legebokoff to the stand. He admitted to being involved in the deaths of three of the women he's accused of murdering: Jill Stuchenko, Cynthia Maas and Natasha Montgomery. But he [unclear: "pointed out" / "pointed out that"] unnamed drug dealers actually did the killing. Legebokoff couldn't reveal their identities because he said that would make him a, quote unquote, "rat". He says inside federal prison, that would put his safety in jeopardy.

Reporter: Legebokoff said the first murder happened Thanksgiving weekend 2009, inside his home on Carney Street. He described a party full of alcohol and cocaine use. Jill Stuchenko was one of the guests. He said two drug dealers, whom he calls X and Y, told him Stuchenko was going to die because she owed a lot of money. Legebokoff says X used a pipe to hit her. He says he drove down 15th and got rid of her bloody clothes and purse in a dumpster. Meanwhile, X and Y took away the body. Legebokoff described similar circumstances in the deaths of Cynthia Maas and Natasha Montgomery. They were both killed in his apartment, but the killings were done by drug dealers. Several victims' family members were on hand to hear Legebokoff's version of events.

Counselor: We would probably provide an opportunity for a debrief after the fact, set something up so that people have a chance to talk this through.

Reporter: Krista LaVar has been counseling them throughout the court process.

Counselor: [unclear: "No, if" / "(Not knowing) if"] the accused would take the stand or not, so there's always that question in people's mind. But, you know, the law is the law, and you have to [unclear: "wear" / "hear"] both sides of a situation. I think that they knew that this was an option.

Reporter: To hear these details from the accused, she says, it stirs up new emotions.

Counselor: I'm just really proud of them. It must be really, really difficult for them to be sitting through just the whole court process itself and hearing about their loved ones. So I'm glad that they are getting some support.

Reporter: Defense lawyer James Heller declined our request for an interview. No word yet on how long the defense will take, as Legebokoff gives the court his version. Camille McDonald, CKPG News. [About 02:28 to 02:29: no machine text; video ends.] ---