Judge orders lawyer for Charlotte Lafferty's murderer - Action News
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Judge orders lawyer for Charlotte Lafferty's murderer

The mother of Charlotte Lafferty, who was killed in 2014, is relieved that a judge has ordered the government to provide Keenan McNeely with a lawyer to appeal his sentence. She hopes that will speed up the process.

Keenan McNeely appealing life sentence with no parole for 10 years for murder of young mom

Keenan McNeely (right) has been granted a publicly funded lawyer to help him appeal his sentence for first degree murder. (Walter Strong/CBC)

The mother of Charlotte Laffertysays she is glad her daughter's murderer will be provided a lawyer to appeal his sentence.

Keenan McNeely, 22, was convicted of first-degree murder for killing the young mother in Fort Good Hope almost five years ago.

On Monday, a judge ordered the Northwest Territoriesgovernment to provide McNeelywith a lawyer.

He's appealing his sentence of life with no parole for 10 years, as well as the decision to sentence him as an adult.

"I'm relieved he got a lawyer so we can move forward. Maybe this will all finally be done in 2019," Louisa Laffertytold CBC.

Lafferty says she plans to go to all of McNeely'sappeal court appearances.

Charlotte Lafferty, 23, was a single mother of twin boys who was murdered after a night out in Fort Good Hope in 2014. (Louisa Lafferty)

McNeely was 17 at the time he beat Lafferty to death and sexually assaulted her in the early morning hours of March 22, 2014. He was within a month of his 18th birthday.

McNeely says he can't afford a lawyer and has only a Grade 9 education.

The Northwest Territories Legal Aid Commission refused to provide him with a lawyer to handle his appeal. In court documents, it says there isn't much chance of the appeal succeeding.

But in a Yellowknife courtroom on Monday, Justice Shannon Smallwoodin the Court of Appeal for the Northwest Territories said, while McNeely's appeal is not strong, it still meets the low standard to qualify for a publicly funded lawyer.

McNeely appeared in court by video from a southern prison. No date has been set for his appeal.

With files from Hilary Bird