In a recent court case, two individuals were convicted of involvement in a stabbing incident where the actual perpetrator was not definitively identified. Ashtin Ritzand and Colton Lischka faced charges related to the death of James (Ed) Swift and the injury of Virginia Belhumeur. The altercation occurred in August 2022 near Saskatoon, following a prior incident involving a vehicle driven by a friend of the defendants.
Following a sequence of events, the group ended up at a location outside Saskatoon, where a dispute escalated resulting in Swift and Belhumeur being stabbed in the neck. The assailants then left the victims at the scene. Ritzand and Lischka, along with the third individual involved, Anthony Burley, faced legal charges in connection to the incident.
After a trial, Ritzand and Lischka were found not guilty of second-degree murder but were convicted of manslaughter and aggravated assault. The prosecution recommended a sentence of 10 to 12 years due to the severity of the crimes committed. Belhumeur shared her emotional victim impact statement, expressing ongoing fear and trauma since the incident.
During the sentencing phase, the defense argued for more lenient sentences given the circumstances. The judge acknowledged the complexity of the case where neither defendant was conclusively identified as the stabber. Different sentencing recommendations were put forth based on individual circumstances, with Lischka’s defense advocating for a shorter sentence due to his lack of prior criminal record.
The final sentencing decision by Justice Michael Tochor is expected to be announced on January 30.