The mother of two boys in Saint John who were fatally stabbed by their father expressed that no legal sentence can erase the profound loss of her sons, who were her greatest source of joy. Despite the sentencing of Roman Kamyshnyy to life imprisonment without parole for 25 years by the New Brunswick Court of King’s Bench, she emphasized that nothing can alleviate the sorrow she will carry for a lifetime.
The verdict, which followed Kamyshnyy’s conviction on two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of his 10 and 17-year-old sons, mandated the automatic life imprisonment term set forth in the Criminal Code. Justice Darrell Stephenson, while acknowledging the mandatory sentencing, highlighted the severity of Kamyshnyy’s actions, describing them as horrific and depraved acts driven by vengeance against his former spouse.
During the trial, evidence and testimony revealed Kamyshnyy’s premeditated plan to inflict gruesome harm on his children as a means of retaliating against his ex-wife following their recent divorce. The Crown prosecutor and witnesses portrayed the murders as an act of betrayal that had a lasting impact on the community, causing immeasurable trauma and sorrow among those affected.
Despite Kamyshnyy’s assertion of memory loss and attempted self-harm, the court imposed stringent conditions, including a permanent ban on contact with his ex-wife and her family, along with other restrictions. The possibility of an appeal remains uncertain as the parole board will eventually decide on Kamyshnyy’s eligibility for parole after serving the minimum sentence.
Numerous victim impact statements, including those from Witness A’s family members and community figures, underscored the profound and enduring repercussions of the tragic incident. Witness A’s mother lamented the lasting trauma inflicted by Kamyshnyy’s actions, while her brother expressed the irreparable divide in his life caused by the loss of his beloved nephews.
Amidst the ongoing grief and reconstruction of their lives, the mother of the boys expressed gratitude for the support received from various individuals and vowed to cherish the memory of her sons and strive to move forward while keeping them close to her heart.