Canada’s top court dismissed an application to appeal the case of a St. Albert man convicted of killing an RCMP officer more than five years ago.
Emrah Bulatci, 28, was handed a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years when he was convicted in 2009 for the first-degree murder of Const. Christopher Wordon in Hay River, N.W.T.
Bulatci’s lawyer filed an appeal shortly after his sentencing, claiming police illegally obtained recordings of conversations Bulatci had with family while in police custody. It also claimed jury selection was done incorrectly.
The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision, released Thursday, means Bulatci has exhausted all options in the appeals process.
The court, as is normally the case, did not provide an explanation for its decision.
Bulatci shot Wordon four times during a foot chase in October 2007. He was named a suspect and charged within a day.
A massive manhunt ensued, with officers raiding an Akinsdale home after identifying Bulatci’s SUV. He was arrested six days after the shooting in a southwest Edmonton home.
At the onset of the murder trial, Bulatci offered up a guilty plea to manslaughter, claiming the first two shots were attempts to slow Worden down, with the subsequent and fatal firings occurring accidentally. This claim was rejected by the Crown.
The Criminal Code specifies that individuals who intentionally kill a police officer are automatically charged with first-degree murder.
