The Alberta Court of Appeal has upheld the second-degree murder conviction of Deborah Belyea, a 73-year-old woman from Suffield, Alberta, who fatally stabbed her 72-year-old husband, Alfred Belyea, and cut off his arms. The unanimous decision, released Friday, rejected arguments from the defence that the trial judge made errors in evaluating the evidence.
Background of the Case
Deborah Belyea was convicted in January 2024 of second-degree murder and causing an indignity to a body in connection with the October 2021 death of her husband, Alfred Belyea, a Cypress County council member. The trial judge found that Belyea stabbed her husband while he was under the influence of sedatives, severed his arms, and transported his body approximately 170 kilometres to Piapot, Saskatchewan.
Defence Arguments
Defence lawyer Jennifer Ruttan argued that trial Justice Dallas Miller misapprehended the evidence, particularly regarding Belyea's health and physical limitations. Ruttan claimed that her client's poor health would have prevented her from committing the offences. The defence highlighted that Belyea had breathing issues and heart and lung problems, and was largely housebound according to her daughters' testimony.
Appeal Court Findings
The appeal panel, however, concluded that the trial judge properly considered the evidence. They noted that Miller took into account testimony showing Belyea was able to disconnect her oxygen tank, walk down stairs, and follow a friend to a car to say goodbye days after her husband's disappearance. Additionally, evidence showed she moved without her oxygen tank on two other occasions. The appeal judges stated, "The trial judge concluded the appellant's health issues did not prevent her from being independently mobile."
The panel further held that Miller did not misapprehend the evidence, which was contradictory to some extent. "He drew an inference as he was entitled to do. Having drawn that inference, it was reasonable for the trial judge to conclude that the appellant's health issues did not raise a reasonable doubt in the context of the evidence as a whole," the decision read.
Details of the Crime
Alfred Belyea was last seen on October 8, 2021. His body was discovered a week later after one of his daughters turned over a letter from her mother that included a sketch map leading to the location where the dismembered body was found. In the letter, Deborah Belyea wrote, "I needed to be loved and wanted your dad to hold me but he never did anymore." The victim's missing limbs have never been recovered.
Belyea was sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole eligibility for 12 years. The Crown, represented by prosecutor Tom Spark, argued successfully that the convictions should be upheld.
