Court Finds Nigerian-Canadian Man Guilty of Manslaughter After Murder Conviction Is Overturned

A Nigerian-Canadian man previously convicted of murdering his roommate has been found guilty of manslaughter following a retrial ordered by an appeal court.

Michael Elendu, 24, was originally charged with second-degree murder in the December 2020 death of 20-year-old Kyreese Wright, who was stabbed in the chest with a sword.

Elendu was convicted of murder in 2023, but the Alberta Court of Appeal later overturned the verdict and directed that the case be tried again.

In a ruling delivered Monday at the Court of King’s Bench, Justice Nancy Dilts acquitted Elendu of murder but found him guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter.

Justice Dilts said Elendu “made a string of thoughtless decisions” but that there was “insufficient reliable evidence” to prove he intended to cause the serious bodily harm that led to Wright’s death.

The judge also cited inconsistencies in the testimony of witnesses called by Crown prosecutor Samina Dhalla, noting that while some variation in evidence is expected, the gaps raised reasonable doubt about intent.

“I agree with Ms Dhalla that it is unrealistic to expect that there be no inconsistencies in the evidence,” Justice Dilts said in her decision.

A date for Elendu’s sentencing on the manslaughter conviction is yet to be announced.