Robert Badgerow found guilty of first degree murder

After four days of deliberations the jury in the trial of Robert Badgerow has declared him guilty of first degree murder in connection with the 1981 rape and slaying of Diane Werendowicz.  Badgerow grimaced and shook his head when the verdict was read.

The judge elected to proceed right to sentencing.  First degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.  Badgerow has already served ten years for the murder after he was convicted at the first trial. But that verdict was overturned on appeal.  Two subsequent trials ended in hung juries.

While this was the fourth time Badgerow was tried for the murder — unprecedented in Canadian jurisprudence –  it was the first time jurors were permitted to hear a 9-1-1 call made by the killer from a phone booth steps away from where Badgerow worked at Stelco. The call disclosed information that only the killer would have known.    Badgerow’s best friend was a witness at this trial and confirmed the voice belonged to Robert Badgerow.

Before being led away in handcuffs Badgerow told the court: “The only women I’ve hurt are the women in my life… I’ll always maintain my innocence. I’m innocent. I did not do this”.

He then said something to his son nearby who began to sob.

Withheld from the juries was evidence of another crime. A woman named Debbie Robertson was attacked with a screw driver in the same area weeks after the Werendowicz murder.  Robertson identified Badgerow as her attacker but police didn’t believe her at the time.

Ahead of Thursday’s verdict, Lisa Hepfner spoke with some of the investigators involved in the case.