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Peter Khill found guilty of manslaughter in the killing of Jonathan Styres, Not guilty of second degree-murder

A brown judge's gavel sits on its block on a brown table in a courtroom. Three black monitors are sitting infront of the gavel and block.
Peter Khill was found guilty of Manslaughter, but not guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Jonathan Styres. Six Nations Elected Council expressed their disappointment on the second-degree murder verdict. Photo Courtesy of Daniel Bone from Pixabay.
Andrew Dow - CJKS - Ohsweken • ON | 19-12-2022
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The verdict in the third trial for the killing of Six Nations of the Grand River band member, Jonathan Styres, came last Friday when Peter Khill was found guilty of Manslaughter but not guilty of second-degree murder.

Styres’ was killed after he was fatally shot twice by Khill in February 2016 while Khill believed Styres was stealing his truck.

Khill was acquitted of charges in the first trial back in 2018. A second trial was then held in 2021 on appeal which ended in a mistrial, which ultimately lead to the third trial last week in Hamilton.

Six Nations Elected Council released a media statement on December 16 saying they were “disappointed” in the final verdict on the second-degree murder charge.

“While Six Nations of the Grand River is glad that Jonathan’s killer is being held accountable for his death, we are disappointed that the clear evidence presented was not enough to convince the jury of second-degree murder. Jonathan is not alive today because he was intentionally shot twice. Indigenous people deserve a judicial system that values our lives and one that is worthy of our trust. There is still plenty of work to be done to ensure an equitable and fair justice system that meaningfully addresses the over-representation of Indigenous peoples within that system. Our thoughts remain with Jonathan’s entire family, his partner, Lindsay Hill, and their two daughters as they continue to heal from Jonathan’s death.”

Styres’ Partner Lindsay Hill shared a statement in the same press release.

“Finally, Jon’s killer has been held accountable. While I believe that it should have been second-degree murder, I am relieved that he was found guilty of unlawfully killing Jon. Although there is a conviction, it in no way compares to the loss my daughters and I have endured and will continue to endure.”

Six Nations have encouraged community members who are struggling with this news to contact the Six Nations 24-hour crisis line at (519)-445-2204, or to Six Nations Mental Health and Addictions at (519)-445-2143.

Listen to the full CJKS story below:

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