Jeffery Kraft died after being shot in the chest last December near Lacombe. (Contributed photo)

By Troy Gillard

Guilty Plea

Man admits to fatal shooting last December near Lacombe

Nov 16, 2020 | 4:10 PM

A man charged in relation to a homicide last December near Lacombe has admitted to fatally shooting the victim, while a woman co-accused in the death has had all charges against her withdrawn.

Tyler John Campbell, 28, and Amie Joanne Rogers, 22, both of Lacombe, were in Red Deer provincial court on Monday for a preliminary hearing scheduled to determine whether enough evidence was present for them to stand trial for the Dec. 15, 2019 death of 20-year-old Jeffery Kraft of Ponoka.

Both were charged with second-degree murder, robbery with a firearm and conspiracy to commit.

Campbell waived his right to a preliminary hearing and instead pleaded guilty to manslaughter with a firearm.

Rogers, meantime, went through with the preliminary hearing after which her counts were withdrawn as Crown prosecutor Ed Ring determined there was insufficient evidence to send her to trial.

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According to an agreed statement of facts for the case, Kraft and a friend were hanging out at a residence in Lacombe at about 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 15, 2019 when they left to meet up with Rogers. The plan was for all three to drive to another location to consume cannabis.

Kraft and his friend drove to the parking lot outside Boston Pizza in Lacombe where they got into the car Rogers was driving.

Hiding inside the trunk of the car was Campbell, armed with a shotgun.

Rogers drove to a rural area north of Lacombe where she stopped the car, exited and let Campbell out of the trunk.

Campbell came around to the passenger side of the car and yelled, “Who’s Jeff?”

When Kraft identified himself, Campbell said he owed him money to which Kraft replied, “I’ll pay you.”

It was then that the shotgun went off, hitting Kraft with a shot to his upper right chest before he fell out of the car.

As they tried to get him back into the car to take him to hospital, Campbell said, “It’s not supposed to be this way.”

Campbell then drove the car to the Lacombe hospital where Kraft’s friend ran inside for help. They came back outside to find Kraft by himself as Campbell and Rogers had fled. Kraft later died from his injury and Campbell and Rogers were arrested near Sylvan Lake at about 9 a.m.

Campbell’s case returns to court for sentencing submissions on January 29.

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