Joshua Petrin loses appeal in conviction in death of Lorry Ann Santos

The man found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Lorry Ann Santos will stay in prison after a Saskatchewan judge dismissed his appeal.

Joshua Petrin was found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in 2016 for the shooting death of Santos in 2012.

Santos was shot and killed inside her home in the Westview neighbourhood of Saskatoon on Sept. 12, 2012. Investigators say she was killed by an Alberta based gang targeted the wrong house.

According to court documents, Petrin, who is from Edmonton, was a high-ranking member of the “White Boy Posse” gang, which primarily operates in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

During the trial, court heard that Santos was killed by two men who were under Petrin’s orders. The intended target, according to prosecutors, was a former member of the gang.

Petrin was sentenced to life in prison without eligibility for parole for 25 years for the first-degree murder charge and 12 years, to be served concurrently, for conspiracy to commit murder.

After the sentence was handed down, Petrin’s lawyer said they planned to appeal, as Petrin still maintains his innocence.

On Monday, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal released a written decision denying Petrin’s appeal.

“On the whole, the verdict of the trial judge was one that she could properly have rendered based on the evidence before her,” Justice Richard Ottenbreit wrote in the appeal decision.