Almost 7,000 signatures have so far been collected on a petition calling for the killer of an Abbotsford woman to receive the harshest sentence possible.
The petition was posted Sept. 16 at change.org by Kasadee York, the best friend of Chelsey Gauthier, whose body was found Aug. 16, 2017 in a shallow grave in an isolated area of Mission near Sylvester Road and Dale Road.
Gauthier, 22 at the time and the single mom of two young girls, had been stabbed.
Her killer, Gary Losch, 69, was convicted on July 22 of manslaughter – instead of the second-degree murder charge he faced – and interference of a dead body. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 2 and 3 in Abbotsford.
There is no minimum sentence for manslaughter under the law, except when a firearm is used, in which case it is four years in prison. The maximum sentence for any manslaughter conviction is life in prison.
The petition calls on the justice system to sentence Losch to “the maximum sentence allowable by law for his horrific actions.”
“It is imperative not only for Chelsey’s family but also as a statement that society will not tolerate such acts of violence and disrespect, particularly against Indigenous women,” it states.
The petition states that Gauthier’s death was a “devastating blow” to the community.
“Chelsey was a vibrant young woman, full of life and dreams for a future with her children. The anguish of her absence is compounded by the feeling that justice has not been fully served,” it reads.
Several people have left comments on the web page, including Gauthier’s dad, Ray. He wrote that Losch showed no remorse during the trial or upon his conviction.
“This man is a pervert, narcissist, murderer and should spend his life in prison with no chance of parole,” he said.
Gauthier was first reported missing on July 30, 2017 after she had gone with Losch to help him tend to his illegal marijuana grow-op on the Mission property at Sylvester and Dale roads.
Losch told officers investigating Gauthier’s disappearance conflicting stories, including that Gauthier had left the Mission property to hitchhike home. In another version, he said she had left with a boyfriend and another person.
Gauthier’s body was found by investigators during a search of the property on Aug. 16 of that year.
She had been wrapped in a sheet and was naked from the waist down. An autopsy showed she had been stabbed in the back.
The motive for the killing was not established, but Judge Dev Dley said during his verdict that “there may have been a sexual component.”
Dley said he could not find Losch guilty of second-degree murder because the Crown did not prove he had the intention to kill Gauthier, and he instead convicted him of manslaughter.
After the verdict, Losch was released from court on bail until his sentencing.
The petition can be found by searching “Demand maximum sentence for Gary Donald Losch” at change.org.
