A faint hope hearing is underway to determine whether convicted murderer Ronald Cyr should be allowed to apply for parole earlier than the 25 years mandated by his sentence. Cyr is serving a life sentence for the death of his wife, Nadia Gehl, who was fatally shot in February 2009 while she was on her way to work. A jury convicted Cyr of first-degree murder in his wife’s death. They determined he orchestrated the shooting, which was then carried out by two other men. Cyr is now incarcerated in the medium security section at Beaver Creek Institution in Gravenhurst. Cyr’s lawyer Breana Vandebeek said Cyr will tell court he is sorry about what happened, that he’s changed and faced the consequences of his actions. “He’s here to ask you for a chance, a chance to take the next step in his process of rehabilitation,” Vandebeek told jurors on Tuesday. Prosecutor Elizabeth Brown told jurors the Crown opposes an earlier parole eligibility for Cyr. “This was not a spontaneous act,” Brown said of Gehl’s murder. “It was a planned, execution-style killing of a young woman by the person she trusted the most, her husband.” Brown told jurors that family members will speak of not only the devastating loss of Gehl, “but also the profound sense of betrayal that accompanied the discovery that her husband, their family member, was involved in her death.” After hearing evidence from both sides, the jury will gather to decide if Cyr will be allowed to apply for parole sooner than 25 years. If they decide he can, they will then also decide when he can make that application. The jury was reminded that is the scope of their decision, and this is not a re-litigation of the murder trial. “Please keep an open mind,” Justice Robert Reid told jurors as the hearing began on Tuesday. Ultimately, parole is granted by the Parole Board of Canada, and Vandebeek reminded the jury that “a life sentence in Canada means life,” and should Cyr be released at some point, he will always remain under conditions and under the purview of the Parole Board of Canada. Faint hope hearing witnesses The first witness at the hearing was the chaplain at Beaver Creek Institution, Sean Angel. Angel described Cyr as helpful and trustworthy. He noted Cyr is one of the few inmates who is allowed to use matches to light candles for Jewish rites and rituals. “It’s a position of trust within the context of the institution,” Angel explained. Angel said he doesn’t typically ask offenders about the circumstances that brought them there, but Cyr did tell him some things about Gehl’s homicide. When asked if Cyr has ever expressed remorse, Angel said Cyr told him “that if he had the opportunity to do things differently, that he would.” When asked to describe Cyr’s character, Angel said he is honest and has integrity. In cross-examination, the Crown asked if Angel could really assess Cyr’s honesty, given he had previously testified most of their conversations surrounded topics like sports. The second witness of the day was a parole officer who reviewed Cyr’s file and noted he has relatively few institutional misconducts compared to others serving life sentences. The hearing resumes on Thursday. Gehl’s murder and the trial In an agreed statement of facts, the jury heard that Gehl was shot around 8:45 a.m. on February 2, 2009. Cyr, who worked at the Gehl family law firm, was in an intimate relationship with a coworker at the time. He was also the beneficiary of a substantial life insurance policy for Gehl. Cyr was arrested and charged with her murder six months after her death, following an extensive police investigation that included an undercover officer who befriended Cyr, suggested they purchase a business together, and pretended to have a vindictive ex-wife that could compromise that venture. “Mr. Cyr was confident and boasted of his ability to mastermind the plan to kill,” the agreed statement of facts describes at one point. Cyr’s friend, Zdenek “Dennis” Zvolensky, and Nasha Qahwash were also arrested. The gun used to kill Gehl was found in Qawash’s basement, with Zvolensky’s DNA on it. At trial, the Crown claimed Cyr planned the killing and the two other men carried it out for him. The three accused took the stand, and all blamed the others for Gehl’s death. All three were convicted of first-degree murder. Efforts to appeal the convictions were unsuccessful.
