BATTLEFORD — A teenage son’s poignant words, written to his slain mother, brought tears to the eyes of everyone in the courtroom — including the presiding judge.
“I remember the gunshot. That sound will never leave my thoughts,” he wrote in a victim impact statement about the death of Heidi Veit, who was shot in front of him on the farm where they used to live near Wilkie.
He performed CPR, desperately trying to save his mom, court heard. Medical evidence shows she was killed on impact by a bullet that appeared to come out of nowhere. The boy would later discover it was fired by his own father, who was hiding on the property with a rifle.
Wesley John Veit, 47, was charged with first-degree murder, but on Friday in Battleford Court of Queen’s Bench, he pleaded guilty to the included offence of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for at least 18 years after Justice Gerald Allbright accepted a joint submission from the Crown and defence.
Reading out the facts of the case, prosecutor Oryn Holm said Veit and his mother had met with a lawyer on March 27, 2017, to discuss his impending divorce. He learned Heidi would be picking up belongings from the farm later that day.
Veit went home and started to drink. He was captured on video by his own surveillance camera, using his hand to informally measure the height of a BBQ and a planter in front of the house.
He waited until Heidi was in that same location before shooting her through the scope of his rifle two hours later.
Heidi Veit
Veit says he has no recollection of doing so, court heard. Defence lawyer Leslie Sullivan said her client remembers having drinks at home and “came to” at a neighbouring house, where he was arrested two days after the murder.
“This compounds the tragedy because it becomes somewhat inexplicable,” Sullivan said.
Medical experts said the memory loss could only be explained by a combination of Veit’s intoxication, cognitive issues and shock, resulting in a sort of “amnesia,” she said.
Sullivan said Veit took responsibility for his actions once he was presented with evidence that showed “there was no other explanation for her death.” He was assessed at a forensic hospital and deemed fit despite his low intellectual capacity, she said.
Veit’s low cognitive ability was one reason why the Crown consented to a second-degree murder plea deal, despite the case having “slight indicators of planning,” court heard. The guilty plea also spared his sons from having to testify, and the long period of parole ineligibility recognizes the closeness to first-degree murder, court heard.
“I’m very sorry for what happened. I’m very sorry for my boys,” Veit said, appearing somewhat bewildered during his sentencing.
Sullivan said Veit was dependent on his wife but showed no signs of violent behaviour during their separation. He can’t understand why he killed a woman he still loves, she told court.
Although Veit has strong family support, some family members denounced him in their victim impact statements. They remembered Heidi as a kind-hearted person and loving mother who was taken too soon.
Her youngest son described the eeriness of going to school in Wilkie, where his mother worked as an educational assistant, and seeing her office, still full of her things.
Heidi’s oldest son said he misses the simple things, like asking his mom about her day. He wrote her a letter that read “I’m going to do amazing things for you mom. I’m going to make you proud.”