Carcross hotelier murder appealed

Yukoner Dean Boucher, who wasrecently convicted of the 2004 beating death ofCarcross hotel owner Bob Olson, has filed an appeal.

Boucher, also known as Dean Johns, is appealing the second-degree murder conviction. The 32-year-old is also appealing his life sentence with no eligibility of parole for15 years.

Boucherwas found guilty by a jury in June. He was sentenced in Augustafter he made a dramatic courtroom confession, admitting he had killed the 64-year-old Olson in a drunken rage.

At the same time he tried to absolve co-accused Mark Lange of any responsibility. Lange has also filed an appeal.

Boucherargues thatthe jury was biased because it did not include enough First Nations people on it. He said his own lawyer was also biased.

The documents say the judge who sentenced him was wrong to ignore the fresh evidence he provided.

Boucher says that since he was too drunk to remember what he did that night, he should have been convicted of manslaughter, not second-degree murder.