Teen who killed random woman to be like fictional serial killer gets five years in youth facility

A teenager who stabbed a retired kindergarten teacher to death at random as she raked leaves in her yard in an Ontario suburb said he was determined to kill someone that day “to escape his old life” and to assume an alter ego based on a fictional serial killer, court heard.

The boy, 14 years old at the time of the murder in Pickering, east of Toronto, told psychiatrists after his arrest that when he was suspended from school for carrying a knife he made up his mind to kill, like the serial killers he was obsessed with, it was revealed in court Wednesday when the teen was sentenced for first-degree murder.

The boy said he wanted to be like Yoshikage Kira, a character in a best-selling Japanese manga graphic novel and anime cartoon who is portrayed as a meticulous killer trying to live quietly as a businessman despite periodically murdering women.

On Wednesday, Justice Lisa Wannamaker ruled that the killer should be given credit for the 13 months he has already spent in custody awaiting trial. While credit for pre-trial custody is routinely given in adult sentencing, in cases held under the Youth Criminal Justice Act credit is discretionary.

Wannamaker’s ruling means the boy will serve five more years in custody, instead of six, before being released under supervision in the community for another four years, before completing his sentencing.

Because of his young age, the identity of the killer is protected by law and cannot be published. In April, he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder.

Eleanor Doney was gardening outside her home in Pickering, just east of Toronto, on May 29, 2025, when she was attacked by a 14-year-old boy dressed in a black shiny trench coat, a black mask, black gloves, overly large dress shoes and carrying a briefcase.

Court heard the get-up he wore was his usual form of dress — a black suit, black trench coat, and a briefcase every day since he was about 10 years old — and was a look he based on two fictional serial killers he admired: Kira, the anime killer, and Patrick Bateman, from the novel and movie American Psycho. Both characters are successful and materialistic businessmen leading a secret second life as a killer.

His interest in looking and acting like the murdering characters extended to talking like them and telling psychologists he wanted to be an accountant “because he wanted to wear a suit and count money.”

The boy said he stumbled upon Doney while out walking about to find a victim.

He told psychologists before his sentencing hearing that he walked past her but then returned because he did not see anyone else and decided she would be his victim. He said he remembers killing her but nothing else, including how many times he stabbed her. He said he felt calm and collected at the time and was not afraid.

“After killing her, he said his violent thoughts went away and he stopped thinking about them,” Wannamaker said in her sentencing decision that summarized her reasons.

The attack was recorded by a neighbour’s doorbell camera. The boy is seen stopping and briefly talking with Doney before pulling a knife from his briefcase and repeatedly stabbing her as she tried to retreat into her house. He then continued walking down the street. A community warning was issued until the boy was identified to police by school administrators and arrested that night at his home.

Since his arrest, psychologists examined and interviewed him as part of the criminal justice process. At the time of the stabbing, the judge was told, the boy’s autism spectrum disorder, learning disorders, and non-verbal reasoning deficits were undiagnosed.

Court heard he had a troubled home life. He was born in Canada to parents who had immigrated from Pakistan and lived in a multigenerational home where Urdo was the primary language; his father lived outside the province for work and only returned on short visits every month or so.

He had only superficial social connections and was fixated on violence and dark themes and had a history of inappropriate online activities, repeatedly researching real serial killers and videos about stalking, stabbing and psychopathy.

In interviews with doctors he said he had fluctuating violent ideation, which he described as “an urge to kill,” in the weeks before the murder.

“While he acknowledged the seriousness of his misconduct and claimed that he regretted his actions, he had little insight regarding his impact, the impact of his behaviour on others, including his own family or the victim’s family,” Wannamaker said in her decision.

“He struggles with problem-solving. He is socially isolated and emotionally disconnected from others. There is a concern that he wishes to affiliate with individuals online who share antisocial attitudes and beliefs that are supportive of violence.”

After a recent fight with another resident at his youth facility, he told staff he “hasn’t felt this alive,” since he stabbed Doney. He still has a “strong preoccupation” with the anime character. Staff at the facility also said he was highly engaged in school and described him as their “best student.”

Reports told the judge the boy was willing and enthusiastic about programming and therapy at the facility.

“His delusional thought process and disorganized thinking remain present, and it is imperative that he be further assessed and followed over time. He needs psychiatric consultation, intensive individual psychotherapy, and caregiver family-focused services,” Wannamaker said. The best place for that was in a youth facility and not an adult prison, she said.

“He has slowly begun the growth that is necessary,” she said.

“I have been offered a plan that has been developed specifically for (him) and I find that there are reasonable grounds to believe that plan might reduce the risk of him repeating the offence or committing any other serious violent offence.”

She said that if she didn’t extend pre-trial credit the boy might be transferred to an adult facility after he turned 20 and it is unknown what type of programming would be available there.

“The greatest concern to this court is ensuring that he gets the rehabilitative and reintegration support needed,” she said.

Both the prosecution and the boy’s defence lawyer jointly asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence allowable under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, which is a 10-year sentence, split between six years in custody and four years of conditional supervision in the community.

Erin Dann, the boy’s lawyer, asked that Wannamaker deduct one year from her client’s custody portion as credit for his year in custody since his arrest. Crown prosecutor Tammi D’Eri asked that no credit be deducted from his sentence.

At his court hearing the day before, he stood in the prisoner’s box in a dark suit over a white shirt and expressed remorse for murdering Doney. He said that after months of reflection he now understood the impact of his actions and wants to work to become a better person; that he doesn’t want this “grave mistake” to define him.

Speaking to him directly, Wannamaker said she hopes he meant those words and “that you understand the consequences of your actions, at least minimally, at this time.

“Perhaps having seen a room full of Ms. Doney’s loved ones before you, expressing the tragedy that your actions have brought upon them and the unimaginable pain and grief that you have caused, has motivated you to change,” she told him.

Wannamaker said she was moved by the emotional victim impact statements filed by Doney’s family and friends.

“Anyone would be lucky to have an Eleanor Doney in their life,” she said, adding, “there is no sentence which will make Ms. Doney’s loved ones feel whole again.”

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