Deer Lake man found guilty of murdering his grandmother
Justin Paul Campbell of Deer Lake has been found guilty of first-degree murder for killing his grandmother two years ago.
A jury rendered the verdict Friday evening at Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court in Corner Brook. The decision came following a two-week trial and just two hours of jury deliberations. Campbell was also found guilty of theft over $5,000.
Campbell, 34, was arrested Sept. 8, 2023, after the body of his 69-year-old grandmother, Eva Banfield, was found in her home on Upper Nicholsville Road in Deer Lake.
He had admitted to police he killed the woman by choking her and then stole money from her to buy drugs, but the defence argued it wasn’t planned. In the end, jurors concluded there were grounds to convict.
Campbell’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 2026.