WARNING: This story contains details about a murder that may not be appropriate for all readers.
The man who killed a Nanaimo teenager has been handed a life sentence with no parole for 20 years.
Sentencing for Steven Michael Bacon, 58, happened in Nanaimo on Friday, April 14. Bacon was originally charged with the first-degree murder of Makayla Chang, 16 when she disappeared in March 2017. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last August.
Bacon strangled Chang to death, according to an agreed statement of facts. Gilbert Labine, BaconB次元官网网址檚 legal representative, and Nick Barber, Crown counsel, entered a joint submission with Justice Robin Baird overseeing proceedings.
Bacon and Chang met in the summer of 2016 and formed a father-daughter type of relationship, said Barber, citing the statement. Bacon lied and said his own daughter had committed suicide and viewed the relationship with Makayla as a second chance.
During an argument on March 17, 2017, Bacon pushed Makayla, who fell and struck her head, the statement said. After putting her on the couch, he decided to choke her to death with his bare hands to avoid criminal ramifications. With the assistance of his landlord, who drove a taxi, Bacon buried MakaylaB次元官网网址檚 body in a rural forested area near Nanaimo Lakes Road just after 4 a.m. March 18, 2017.
BaconB次元官网网址檚 DNA turned up in ChangB次元官网网址檚 autopsy. He had sexual intercourse with her on the day of her death, Barber said, but Bacon claimed it was consensual.
In addition, a toxicology report revealed Makayla had small amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl in her blood, as well as compounds associated with cannabis.
Many of ChangB次元官网网址檚 relatives and friends, including father Kerry Chang and mother Janine Vautour, were in attendance in the packed courtroom. Kerry Chang, during a victim impact statement at sentencing, said he tried to die by suicide after his daughterB次元官网网址檚 murder by driving his car into trees. He called Bacon a B次元官网网址減edophileB次元官网网址� and a B次元官网网址渕onster.B次元官网网址�
Addressing the court, Bacon apologized for the harm he caused MakaylaB次元官网网址檚 family.
He said he destroyed so much, and there was nothing he could do to make it better or change it.
Kerry Chang finishes impact statement stating, B次元官网网址淔arewell Steven Bacon, you piece of sh*t!B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址� Karl Yu (@KarlYuBulletin)
After sentencing, Kerry Chang said he and his family have found a semblance of closure with the verdict although it B次元官网网址渨ill never be over.B次元官网网址� Preparing his impact statement was difficult, he said.
B次元官网网址淚 spent months writing that impact statement over and over, countless times,B次元官网网址� Kerry Chang said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been in recovery now for eight months and throughout it, itB次元官网网址檚 been a part of my recovery. For me to actually stand and read it, it took a lot for me, but this was all B次元官网网址� justice for Makayla and we got justice today.B次元官网网址�
The process took about six years, but Vautour said she never lost faith.
B次元官网网址淚 knew who it was, right from Day 1,B次元官网网址� said Vautour. B次元官网网址淚 said who it was, I said exactly how it happened and exactly what they said, is exactly what I said. I just knew it. Moms know these things.B次元官网网址�
Keanna Hoorn, one of MakaylaB次元官网网址檚 friends, said earlier in the day that she was angry at Bacon and apprehensive about attending sentencing.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 an excuse of a person,B次元官网网址� said Hoorn. B次元官网网址淚 really hope that something very bad happens to him, to be honest. IB次元官网网址檓 scared that IB次元官网网址檓 going to hear everything that happened to her because IB次元官网网址檓 not fully sure of all the details and I donB次元官网网址檛 even know if I want to be because I keep thinking in my head of all the things that couldB次元官网网址檝e happened to her, how she felt and how scared she was and everything.B次元官网网址�
Bacon was serving time at a maximum security prison in Ontario on an unrelated charge, when was transferred back to B.C. in October 2021 to answer to the charges related to Chang.
A pre-sentence report was not entered as Labine said that Bacon thought there were too many inaccuracies in it.
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