In front of a packed courtroom in Sault Ste. Marie on Wednesday, Justice Alexander Kurke sentenced Montana Lewis to 4 1/2 years in prison for manslaughter. Lewis was jailed for the stabbing death on Nov. 19, 2019, of Samuel Graham Jr. Lewis had an altercation with Graham Jr. -- the boyfriend of Lewis’s twin sister. The then 18-year-old Lewis stabbed Graham in the abdomen. The blade also made contact with the victim’s kidney and aorta, leading to significant blood loss and his death. Kurke said that the “killing itself was a cowardly act,” with Graham Jr. not being able to defend himself. The judge said the killing was “close to murder,” and Lewis had a “high degree of culpability.” However, the fact he has already spent 1,716 days in “oppressive” conditions in pre-trial custody at the Algoma Remand and Treatment Centre, and the Central North Correctional Centre, reduced his overall sentence by 7 1/2 years. ‘Devastating’ impact on victim’s family Kurke said the “devastating” impact on the Graham family was an aggravating factor in his sentencing decision. A total of 47 victim impact statements were filed, which described the 19-year-old as a “bright light.” The statements also highlighted the deep emotional impact suffered by his parents, immediate family and large social circle. The death of Graham Jr. left family members unable to work, with his mother saying his absence has “taken a sense of joy and replaced it with grief, PTSD and suicidal thoughts.” In his favour, Kurke said Lewis was only a few months past turning 18 at the time of the stabbing. He said there is a priority for sentences to promote rehabilitation, and to take into consideration the youth of those being sentenced. Lewis also didn’t have a criminal record at the time of the incident. His Gladue Report, mandatory in cases such as this, found that he is a member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. The report described intergenerational trauma, with both of his paternal grandparents attending Indian Day School. Substance and anger issues The report said his family had their culture “stripped away.” Lewis had seen his mother abused by his father, who regularly used drugs and alcohol and was in and out of jail. Lewis himself had substance use issues and anger issues. Since his arrest, Lewis undertook counselling and took courses for anger and to connect with his Indigenous heritage. Kurke said a number of letters of support spoke to his maturation in the years since the incident. Lewis has said he no longer feels that he has anger issues and has expressed remorse for the killing. At the last court date, he even addressed Samuel Graham Jr.’s family, saying that he is “sorry for the pain and suffering to all involved.” In addition to the sentence, Lewis will have a 10-year firearms prohibition and has been ordered to have no contact with the Graham family. He must also pay the Graham family nearly $19,000 in restitution for funeral expenses. Following the sentencing announcement, the court also heard that Lewis pleaded guilty to breaching a non-contact order with a Crown witness. He has been ordered to pay a $500 fine within five years. “I wish you good luck going forward,” Kurke told Lewis. “I recognize the work you’ve done in rehabilitation.” The judge then made comments to the Graham family and supporters. “I have nothing but sympathy for you, and hope you find some measure of peace (in the sentencing),” he said. that
