Tender Spaces

Jenkins sentenced to life in gun slaying of professor

A life sentence was imposed yesterday on Montreal photographer Michael Jenkins for the murder of McGill professor James Ross last October.

Ross was found shot on Pine Ave. in the early morning hours of Oct. 12, 1966.

“Any other verdict would have been perverse,” said Mr. Justice Peter V. Shorteno after the 12-man jury found Jenkins guilty of non-capital murder.

The jury had deliberated 90 minutes before giving its verdict.

Then turning to the accused, standing in the prisoner’s dock, the judge said: “As the law obliges me, I must sentence you to life.”

Jenkins took his sentence without showing any signs of emotion.

Earlier yesterday, during the trial, the jury was expecting to hear defence witnesses called by Jenkins, but somewhat surprisingly his lawyer, Francois Dorval, decided not to present any defence testimony.

The jury judged the case solely on Crown evidence, in which many witnesses identified Jenkins as the man who shot Ross.

One witness, Henry Berube, was only steps away from the incident in which two bullets were pumped into the abdomen of the victim.

He said Jenkins shot the first shot from a third floor gallery of Ross’ apartment building and the second after chasing him across Pine Ave.

Several other witnesses living in the area at the time of the murder said they saw Jenkins chasing the victim across the street and firing the second shot.