Killer of Mackaylah Gerard-Roussin sentenced to life in prison

A Winnipeg courtroom erupted in cheers and applause as Josh Benoit, 24, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years for the first-degree murder of Mackaylah Gerard-Roussin. The conviction came in May, with Benoit found guilty in the 2022 death of the 20-year-old.

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When my daughter was born, I never thought I’d be alone again. I thought she’d be there with me for the rest of my life. Now I just feel alone all the time.

During the sentencing on Friday, Benoit remained silent and stared ahead as Gerard-Roussin's family and friends delivered emotional victim impact statements. Many struggled to read their statements aloud, with Crown attorneys stepping in to read them on their behalf. Gerard-Roussin's father, Kirby Gerard, was overcome with tears while attempting to read his statement, expressing profound loneliness after the loss of his daughter.

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That’s hard for us. That’s hard for us to know that possibly, Josh Benoit could do all these things. He gets to open his eyes every day, and Mackaylah doesn’t.

Mackaylah Gerard-Roussin disappeared on August 25, 2022. Days later, her body was discovered wrapped in a tarp and buried in a plastic container on an ATV trail near Woodridge, Manitoba. The court determined that Benoit, who had known Gerard-Roussin for many years, had meticulously planned her murder, acquiring the necessary supplies and digging the grave before carrying out the act.

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I’m grateful and thankful to have all the support and loved ones with me, because I don’t know what I would do without them.

Melissa Roussin, Mackaylah's mother, expressed relief that Benoit will remain incarcerated, stating, "I’m grateful and thankful to have all the support and loved ones with me, because I don’t know what I would do without them." The court also recognized that Gerard-Roussin's case highlights the overrepresentation of Indigenous women and girls among victims of violent crime. Her family plans to heal one day at a time and keep her memory alive, cherishing her singing, laughter, and hugs, determined that Benoit cannot steal their memories.

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Her singing, her laughter, her hugs, every little thing about Mackaylah is something that we will forever keep in our hearts. And that’s one thing that I said [in my victim impact statement]: you may have took her away, but you will not steal our memories from us. That’s one thing he will not ever, ever have.