By Sheldon Spackman

November 2020 Incident

Man convicted in Ponoka homicide sentenced to life in prison

Jan 31, 2024 | 10:46 AM

A man charged in a Ponoka homicide over three years ago has been sentenced to life in prison.

Ryan Jake Applegarth, 31, of Ponoka, was sentenced in Wetaskiwin Court of King’s Bench on Jan. 26, 2024, after being convicted on one count of second-degree murder. He will be eligible for parole at 18 years.

It was on Nov. 5, 2020, when RCMP, along with EMS, responded to a 911 call for an injured female at a residential complex in Ponoka.

Chantelle Firingstoney, 26, a resident of Ponoka, was found deceased.

The Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit took over the investigation, and following an autopsy, determined the cause of death to be homicide.

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Applegarth is already serving an eight-year prison sentence after being convicted in November 2022 of manslaughter in a Wetaskiwin homicide on Jan. 3, 2020.

Related: Sentencing set for man charged in 2020 Ponoka homicide

Related: New preliminary hearing dates set in Ponoka homicide

Related: Ponoka man sentenced to eight years in Wetaskiwin homicide

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