Sask. man sentenced to life in prison for 2nd-degree murder of Megan Gallagher

Robert James Joseph Thomas, 29, was sentenced on Friday to life with no chance of parole for 18 years for the second-degree murder of Megan Gallagher. 

He was originally charged with first-degree murder, but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence on Oct. 7.

Gallagher's family members wept and embraced each other in a Saskatoon courtroom Friday as they watched the sentencing. She was 30 when she was reported missing in 2020.

Four others will soon stand trial for their alleged involvement in Gallagher's death.

Brian Gallagher, her father, paused when asked if he thought justice had been served. 

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to answer that," he said. "The justice is just a part of a society that we live in. The young man is going to go to be incarcerated for a long time, and there are no winners in this."

While handing down the sentence, Justice Daryl Labach said Thomas had "forsaken his ability to walk free." He called the killing "callous and unfathomable." 

He told Gallagher's family that though the path may be long, he hoped they could now be one step closer to the end of it.

Brian Gallagher said nothing will bring his daughter back, but hearing the judge hand out the sentence was an acknowledgement of her murder. 

"The things that we can't say because of the publication ban ... we've heard them and they hurt us deeply. They keep us from sleeping at night. When we close our eyes, we see the things that possibly happened," he said. 

Labach issued a publication ban last month on the proceedings, including the case details, sentencing arguments and victim impact statements. He said it was to ensure a fair trial for the other accused whose trials have not begun.

Thomas sat in the prisoner's box wearing an orange sweatshirt. His supporters wept as the sentencing was announced. Upon release, he will face several conditions, including a ban on owning weapons and a requirement to provide a DNA sample for the national database.

Gallagher's family and friends read out 11 victim impact statements, with some addressing Thomas directly. The contents of those statements are also protected by the publication ban.

Gallagher, a 30-year-old mother, went missing over four years ago in Saskatoon. She was last seen alive leaving her friend's house on Sept. 19, 2020. Two years later, her body was found in the South Saskatchewan River.