Van Eindhoven guilty of 2nd degree murder, Nunavut jury finds

Adrian Van Eindhoven is escorted to an RCMP vehicle Oct. 15, moments after hearing the jury’s verdict. Van Eindhoven is guilty of second-degree murder in the 2004 killing of his common-law spouse, Leanne Irkotee. (PHOTO BY DAVID MURPHY)

A jury of 12 Iqaluit residents has found Adrian Van Eindhoven guilty of second-degree murder in relation to the 2004 death of his common-law spouse, 22-year-old Leanne Irkotee in Rankin Inlet.

That jury also recommends that Van Eindhoven, 37, not be eligible for parole until after 25 years of imprisonment — the maximum allowable period of parole ineligibility.

“The jury found a kind and gentle young woman was murdered by the man she loved. And that will never be anything other than a tragedy. We hope that today’s verdict will finally bring some peace to the family,” Crown prosecutor Nick Devlin said.

“The family sent a representative from Rankin [Inlet] to observe the trial but they thought it too painful to sit through this experience again,” he said.

The verdict comes after an afternoon of deliberation at the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit. Justice Earl Johnson gave instructions to the jury the morning of Oct. 15 so they could deliberate and reach their verdict.

Van Eindhoven walked into the courtroom at 3:30 p.m. and sat down, his right leg shaking.

Van Eindhoven stood up when the jury’s chairperson read the unanimous verdict, dropped his head and shed no tears.

Convictions of second-degree murder carry a mandatory penalty of life imprisonment with a minimum parole ineligibility period of 10 years.

Johnson then told the jury to discuss a recommendation for parole.

After a brief recess, the jury reconvened and recommended “no parole.”

Johnson told the jury that there has to be a time for parole eligibility. The chairperson then recommended parole eligibility after 25 years imprisonment — the maximum for parole ineligibility.

Van Eindhoven will return to court Oct. 16 for sentencing.

(More to follow)