Escaped inmate sentenced to life for B.C. man's 'cold blooded' murder

Friends and relatives of murder victim Martin Payne say they are haunted by the actions of "two selfish, reckless'' people who chose their victim because his home was near theprison where the menescaped.

A B.C. Supreme Court jury found James Lee Busch guilty of first-degree murder late Wednesday.

At his sentencing hearing on Thursday, Justice David Crossin called the killing cold-blooded and unspeakable and sentenced Busch to life, without chance of parole for 25 years.

Payne, who was 60, was murdered on July 8, 2019, a day after Busch and Zachary Armitage walked away from the minimum-security William Headprison, located eight kilometres from the victim's home in Metchosin, west of Victoria.

His daughter, Calla Payne, told thesentencinghearing that her dad was a constant source of love and support, and the decisions made by the two selfish, reckless men took that away from her.

Both men pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder as the trial began on Nov. 14, but Armitage entered a guilty plea two weeks later without the jury present while the trial for Busch continued.