Cayuga, ON – Randall McKenzie and Brandi Stewart-Sperry have been convicted of first-degree murder for their roles in the 2022 shooting death of Ontario Provincial Police Constable Grzegorz Pierzchala. Both defendants were immediately sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years after the verdict was delivered on Thursday night following a four-week trial.
The incident occurred on December 27, 2022, when Pierzchala, 28, responded to a vehicle in a ditch near Hagersville, Ontario. McKenzie, 28, was identified as the shooter, while Stewart-Sperry, 32, was found to have intentionally aided him in the attack.
The trial, held in Cayuga, featured a range of key evidence, including body camera footage from Pierzchala’s recording device, which captured the deadly shooting. McKenzie’s actions were described by Superior Court Justice Andrew Goodman as “callous, cold-blooded, and an assassination of a young officer in the prime of his life.”
McKenzie expressed regret during the trial but offered no further explanation. “I honestly am so sorry,” he told the court, though his comments did little to mitigate the gravity of the crime. Stewart-Sperry, on the other hand, did not address the court during the proceedings.
The court heard testimony from several witnesses, including those who had seen the accused before and after the shooting, and gun experts who confirmed that McKenzie’s DNA was found on the weapon used in the murder, a Glock 19 handgun trafficked from the U.S.
The prosecution argued that Stewart-Sperry knowingly assisted McKenzie in the killing, pointing to footage of her stepping between the officer and McKenzie, allegedly to give him time to prepare the weapon. Her defense, however, contended there was no direct evidence that she was aware of McKenzie’s intent to shoot Pierzchala.
The pair’s arrest followed a series of criminal activities, including the stolen vehicle that Pierzchala had been investigating at the time of the shooting. Stewart-Sperry was also found with several stolen items when she was arrested.
The trial also revealed that McKenzie had been denied bail on unrelated charges prior to the shooting but was later released. This detail, though significant, was excluded from the jury’s consideration in the murder trial.
The verdict has drawn attention to the issue of bail reform in Canada, especially after the tragedy. In the wake of Pierzchala’s death, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and other political leaders sent a letter urging the federal government to amend the bail system to restrict access for violent offenders. These calls eventually led to a federal law passed in December 2023, requiring repeat offenders accused of violent crimes involving weapons to prove they are not a flight risk or threat to public safety.
