Man who killed Edmonton father at LRT station sentenced to 7 years in prison

The man who fatally stabbed Rukinisha Nkundabatware at an Edmonton transit station in 2023 got a seven-year prison sentence on Monday. Amanda Anderson reports.

The man who fatally stabbed an Edmonton father at an LRT station has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

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Rukinisha Nkundabatware, 52, was attacked at the Belvedere LRT station on the evening of July 9, 2023.

Jamal Wheeler, 29, was charged with second-degree murder in his death.

Last November he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

According to the agreed statement of facts, Nkundabatware had taken the LRT from Clairview to Belvedere station around 9 p.m. to meet a friend.

The two men were standing on the south side of 129 Avenue south of the transit centre at 9:48 p.m., when an unknown man, later identified as Wheeler, came running from the transit centre and chased after Nkundabatware’s friend.

The document says the friend ran from Wheeler, who pulled a knife out of his waistband and stabbed Nkundabatware in the chest before running from the scene.

Nkundabatware was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy showed a single stab wound that measured 4.5 centimetres by 1.8 centimetres.

It injured his lung, heart, chest wall, as well as skin and soft tissues.

An immigrant from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nkundabatware came to Canada with his wife and seven children to escape violence at home.

According to the agreed statement of facts, police used CCTV footage from the transit station to identify Wheeler, who had the same colourful sneakers and “I (heart) P***y” tattoo as the attacker captured on camera.

The court documents show Wheeler admitted to stabbing Nkundabatware in a subsequent police interview, and admitted it was “objectively foreseeable that death could result from his unlawful act.”

At the sentencing hearing on Monday, court heard Wheeler has a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder diagnosis.

He was born to a mother who suffered from addiction issues and never met his father.

Court heard he has a long criminal history, including previous incidents of targeting transit users.

He has been homeless and unemployed for most of his adult life.

In a victim impact statement read by the Crown, Nkundabatware’s son David said he has lived in constant fear since his father’s death, especially while using public transit.

He said his life feels broken and his father’s death has left a permanent scar.

Wheeler also addressed the court.

“I just want to say that I’m sorry for my actions. I deeply regret what happened,” he said.

The defence asked for a five to six year sentence, while the Crown asked for seven to nine years.

As he read his sentence, Justice Kent J. Teskey spoke directly to Wheeler, telling him his crime had a direct impact on society.

“It causes people to feel unsafe, Mr. Wheeler,” he said.

“When people don’t feel safe it has a significant effect on society.”

He reiterated that people have the right to feel safe while using transit.

“They have the right not to have their head on a swivel, not worried about what is going to happen.”

Justice Teskey said he took into account Wheeler’s life circumstances when making his decision, but also the severity of the case and Wheeler’s criminal history.

“This is a very serious offence,” Justice Teskey said.

“This is not the first time the court has dealt with you.”

With credit for 916 days served, Wheeler will spend another 1,639 days, or 4.5 years in prison.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson