Police paid killer Shawn Lamb $1,500 for information

Winnipeg police not only paid killer Shawn Lamb for information but also encouraged a teen who had been allegedly assaulted by Lamb to drop the charges against him all part of a plea deal that saw him convicted of two counts of manslaughter.

Lamb was paid$1,500 by Winnipeg police for interviews while he was in custody information that was used to find the body of Carolyn Sinclair.

The money was not a payment for a confession, police insisted in a news conference on Friday.

• Shawn Lamb sentenced to 20 years for two slayings

The issue of payment came up in court on Thursday, during a hearing in whichLamb, 54, plead guilty to the slaying of Sinclair, 25, andLornaBlacksmith, 18.

He has been sentenced to 20 years behind bars 10 years for each killing.

The sentence was a joint submission by the Crown and defence. In return for the guilty pleas, the original charges against Lamb were reduced from second-degree murder, which carries a potential life sentence, to manslaughter.

Those charges were laid in June 2012after the bodies of Sinclair and Blacksmith were found. A third charge of second-degree murder is still before the courts in connection to the death of Tanya JaneNepinak, 31.

Lamb has denied killingNepinak, whose body has never been found.

Family encouraged to drop sex assault charges

In June 2012, Lamb was charged with sexual assault, sexual interference and procuring the sexual services of a person under the age of 18.

Those charges stemmed from an incident with a 14-year-old girl that dated back to the fall of 2011, just months before he was charged in the deaths of the three missing women.

Now, the teens mother said herself and her daughter were approached by Winnipeg police and asked to drop the charges against Lamb in order for the plea deal to go through.

If we did pursue it, he would not plead guilty to anything, and it would draw everything out, she said, Basically, what she said to us was that this was the only guarantee he would go to jail.

Sources confirmed at least two other women were also asked to recant statements related to being sexually assaulted by Lamb as part of the plea deal.

Its disgusting to me that our legal system allows that to happen, she said. She said she doesnt believe 18 years, Lambs total sentence for both manslaughter convictions, is long enough and is disappointed her daughter will not get justice.

The Crown and Lambs defence lawyer declined to comment on the deal on Friday.

Extraordinary measure

Police said Friday the decision to pay Lamb for the information was not made lightly but has brought closure to two families.

Itwas an extraordinary measure made to find missing andmurdered women, police said.

Lambsdefence lawyer,MartinGlazer,told court on Thursday thatpolice paid Lamb $600 to give a confession on the location of a woman'sbody.

"He was paid by the police for confessing,"Glazersaid outside court.

"First time that I've ever seen such a case in Canada, and I've been a criminal lawyer for 31 years."

Glazersaid the payment made Crown prosecutors nervous thatresulting in the plea deal that reduced the charges.

"The problem with the Crown's case was that if the statement [Lamb's confession] was thrown out of court the Crown would have no case," he said.

Police said Friday it was a very difficult case and there was little evidence to secure a conviction.

They didn't go to Lamb and offer to pay him, rather he contacted policesaying he wanted $600 for canteen money. In return, he would provide information on the location of a body.

For the families of the people that were involved in this, I think it would certainly bring some closure to them knowing what occurred and that there has been some justice here, said Supt. Danny Smith. These were difficult decisions.