Edmonton woman receives 5-year manslaughter sentence in connection with husband's death
CBC
WARNING: This story contains graphic details that may be disturbing
A judge has sentenced an Edmonton woman to five years for manslaughter after orchestrating an attack on her estranged husband that led to his killing.
Court of King's Bench Justice Paul Belzil said the grisly group attack on 47-year-old Derek Cowan was a double tragedy — for the victim and his family, but also his estranged wife Amanda Lee Cowan whose actions led to Derek's death.
"There is no doubt that the killing of Derek Cowan has torn the Cowan family apart," Belzil said during Friday's sentencing hearing.
On Aug. 16, 2019, Amanda Cowan, 40, lured Derek to a central Edmonton apartment she shared with another man, Jacob Cook, according to details presented in court last year. The Cowans had separated a month earlier.
Although Amanda told Derek they would be alone at the apartment, he arrived to find Cook armed with a machete. Two other individuals involved in the attack, Aqua Pasquayak-Thompson, 19, and a 17-year-old male, also hid in the apartment.
The male youth is not being named as he was a minor at the time of the killing.
After Cowan was in the apartment, the group forced him into a chair, duct-taped his hands, face, and mouth, and proceeded to beat and stab him. The details were noted as part of an agreed statement of facts presented during Cook's court case.
The group later forced the man into the bathroom, where the 17-year-old male "stabbed and chopped him." Cowan died of his injuries in the bathroom.
The group's plan to move and dispose of Cowan's body was unsuccessful when Amanda's roommate arrived at the apartment and called 911.
The four accused — Cowan, Cook, Pasquayak-Thompson, and the male youth — initially all faced charges of first-degree murder.
In Feb. 2022, Cook pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Pasquayak-Thompson pleaded guilty to being an accessory to murder and received a two-year jail term. The male youth offender pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to four years in custody, followed by three years of community supervision.
Amanda Cowan said she wants Derek's family to know she's sorry for everything that happened during a tearful statement from the prisoner's box on Friday. Cowan said she's lived with the ramifications for four years and has night terrors.
This First Person column is the experience of Shannon Flaman, who lives in Red Deer, Alta. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
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