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Gary Hillier’s voice broke as he sat in the witness box and tried to describe the agonizing grief he’s felt since his sister disappeared 10 years ago.
The man who murdered her sat a few feet away. Dean Penney was expressionless, staring into space as Hillier spoke of everything Penney had taken from him and his family.
Ten years of an empty seat at the table during family gatherings. Ten years of a torturous mystery. Ten years of sadness and rage.
“The silver lining in this is that while her murderer physically took her from us, he can never take her spirit,” Hillier told the court. “It’s 10 years since I gained the most beautiful guardian angel.”
Penney was condemned to life in prison on Friday, without the possibility of parole for 25 years. He was found guilty of first-degree murder by a jury in May, bringing a close to a case that captured the country’s attention.
Jennifer Hillier-Penney was last seen on Nov. 30, 2016, in the rural community of St. Anthony, on the northern tip of Newfoundland. While St. Anthony is named for the patron saint of the lost, there was no reprieve for the Hillier family. Her body has never been found.
Police long suspected Dean Penney, her estranged husband, played a direct role in her disappearance. Unable to gather damning evidence through conventional means, the RCMP turned to a rare and controversial tactic.
Penney was ensnared in a Mr. Big sting for more than four years, believing he was part of a criminal organization that transported illegal items across the country. In reality, he was surrounded by undercover police officers, including one who became as close as family.
The mission reached its main event in 2023, when Penney confessed to an undercover officer posing as a crime boss during a job interview on a yacht in Vancouver. He would add further details in a second interview weeks later. Both conversations were captured on camera and played for the jury at trial.
Penney told the officer he pushed his wife over the stairs in their garage. He said she hit her head off the corner of his gun safe. In the second interview, he said he repeatedly struck her head with a mallet while she lay unconscious on the floor.
‘I maintain my innocence’
The court heard victim impact statements from Hillier-Penney’s siblings, Gary Hillier and Yvonne Decker.
Decker spoke of the time she spent with her sister, and how she longed for those days again.
“That part of my life is gone. It will never be the same. I miss our phone calls so much. My life will never be the same again with her gone,” she wrote. “I am lost without my beautiful sister, Jennifer. I am scarred for the rest of my life.”
Justice Vikas Khaladkar then heard brief statements from the Crown and defence, before turning to Penney in the prisoner’s box. He asked Penney if he had anything he wanted to say.
“No, not really, your honour,” Penney replied. “Just that I maintain my innocence and I hope to be vindicated soon.”
In a pre-sentence report (PSR) prepared by a probation officer, Penney also denied killing Hillier-Penney.
“Mr. Penney did not take responsibility, denying the incident took place and he maintained his innocence throughout the PSR interview process. He noted that he believed the situation was a ‘farce’ and that there was ‘no evidence’ and he reported losing faith and being frustrated with the whole situation and having no hope.”
Penney’s parole eligibility will take into consideration the date he was arrested in December of 2023, putting him in his late 70s before he’s up for release.
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