Howard Everett Krewson leaves the Vernon courthouse in handcuffs following the guilty verdict.

(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)

VERNON - A North Okanagan man has been found guilty of second degree murder in the shooting death of a Lumby teacher.

The six-man, six-woman jury in Howard Everett Krewson’s Vernon Supreme Court trial brought back the guilty verdict today, Sept. 23, after roughly three hours of deliberation. 

The 57-year-old shot his girlfriend, Linda Marie Stewart, also known as Linda Ross, June 19, 2014 at her Lumby hobby farm. She was found slumped over in her car with a bullet in her back.

Krewson was found bleeding inside the home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his face. He was treated by paramedics and airlifted to hospital where he recovered from the injury.

Throughout the two-week trial, jurors heard from police officers, paramedics, toxicologists, and Krewson himself, who claimed to have no memory of the actual shooting. His defence argued he consumed a lot of alcohol, marijuana and prescription pills that day, leaving him unable to form the intent to kill Stewart.

The minimum sentence for second degree murder is life in prison with no parole for ten years, but sentences can be as long as life in prison without parole for 25 years. Supreme Court Justice Frank Cole asked the jurors for their recommendations on the sentence. Eight had no recommendation, and four suggested no parole for 15 years.

Krewson will be sentenced at a future date.

Originally from California, Krewson testified he met Stewart several years ago when he did some work for her. He said they entered into a romantic relationship around June of 2013.

Stewart worked as a teacher at School District 22’s Alternate Learning School.

Linda Ross worked as a teacher in Vernon.

Image Credit: Contributed

— This story was updated at 4:55 p.m. Sept. 23, 2016 to add a photo and to say the sentencing will occur at a future date. 

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