Man sentenced for ‘execution-style killing’ of stranger in broad daylight

A man who shot his victim twice in the back in broad daylight for no apparent reason will spend life in prison with parole eligibility set at 13 and a half years.

Harry Tyler Christensen pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of 27-year-old Kyle Cromarty on March 26 and his sentence was handed down in B.C. Supreme Court this week.

The killing took place in Chilliwack on Oct. 4, 2018, and Christensen was not arrested for it until four years later when police matched his DNA with a sample taken from the firearm he left at the scene.

According to an agreed statement of facts read in court, officers were called to the area of Cromarty’s apartment on Sept. 25, 2018, for reports two people were sleeping in a parked car—one of whom was Christensen, who was sent on his way after police impounded the vehicle.

A few days later, around 2:45 p.m., Cromarty was shot twice from behind by Christensen, “who intended to kill him,” outside his apartment building on Yale Road. Christensen did not know Cromarty.

The “execution-style killing” happened in a “very public place” with a school, supermarket and restaurant in the immediate area and children playing in a nearby parking lot, some of whom witnessed the shooting, Justice Warren Milman noted in his decision.

The decision says Christensen had been loitering in the area for about 20 minutes, “apparently waiting for Mr. Cromarty to turn up.”

Cromarty got out of his vehicle and was walking to his building when Christensen followed him, approached from behind and shot him with a handgun before discarding it at the scene and running away, the court heard. Christensen jumped two fences, ran across a field and got into a getaway car that was waiting for him and sped away.

Milman said that before the sentencing, Christensen “took no responsibility for the offence, nor did he show any insight into his actions of offer any explanation to the family,” though he did apologize to Cromarty’s loved ones when given the opportunity at the hearing.

Victim impact statements from Cromarty’s mother, sister, niece and close friend were read at the hearing.

“Their expressions of grief and pain were powerful and eloquent. They speak of the bitter loss of a loved one, the cutting short of vibrant life for reasons that remain unexplained,” Milman said.

“They speak of multi-generational trauma and the loss of a child’s innocence in such a cruel manner. They speak of their resulting mistrust of the world and their loss of faith in human nature. They also spoke of their fear about leaving their homes and their despair in trying to make sense of and come to terms with that horrible loss.”

As a murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence, the only thing the judge had to consider was parole eligibility, which could range between 10 to 25 years. The Crown agued for 15 years before Christensen would become eligible to apply for parole, while defense argued for 11 years.

Milman said both sides agreed there were “serious” aggravating factors in the case.

“First, this was an execution-style killing with a firearm. The victim was approached from behind by an apparent stranger and shot with no apparent provocation,” the judge said. “There appears to have been some planning, as evidence by Mr. Christensen’s loitering in the vicinity immediately prior to the shooting and his having arranged a getaway car.”

He also took into account the public setting the murder took place in and the fact Christensen evaded capture for several years.

Christensen’s guilty plea and “difficult family history and upbringing” were considered as mitigating factors.

Hilman ultimately concluded a 13-and-a-half-year period of parole ineligibility was appropriate in the case. Christensen was also ordered to submit a DNA sample and is banned from possessing weapons for 10 years following his release.