Man who murdered NWT RCMP officer denied early parole

The NWT Supreme Court has denied a man convicted of killing an RCMP officer in Hay River in 2007 early release from prison.

Emrah Bulatci was found guilty in 2009 of first-degree murder in Cst Christopher Worden’s death and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 25 years.

In a written decision on Tuesday, NWT Supreme Court Justice Louise Charbonneau rejected Bulatci’s request to be released on parole early.

Bulatci had applied for early release under what is known as the “faint hope clause.”

In the Criminal Code, the clause allows people serving a life sentence for murder or high treason to apply for early release on parole after they have served at least 15 years in prison.

While the clause is not available to people who committed an offence before December 2, 2011, inmates convicted of offences prior to that date may still be eligible.

Application screened out

Faint hope applications are first screened by a judge to determine whether they are likely to succeed before a jury.

This step aims to protect the loved ones of murder victims from going through the unnecessary trauma of “a clearly meritless” faint hope hearing.

If an application passes the initial screening, a jury will then be selected to hear it.

Charbonneau ultimately determined that Bulatci’s application did not meet the screening threshold.

In making her decision, the judge said she considered several factors including the nature of the crime, Bulatci’s character, letters written in support of him as well as victim and community impact statements filed by the Crown, a psychological risk assessment and Bulatci’s behaviour in prison.

Crime had ‘a profound impact’

Charbonneau said at the time of the offence, Bulatci was an “experienced and prolific drug dealer” who travelled to Hay River for the sole purpose of selling cocaine to make money. She said he shot multiple times at a police officer, fled the territory and enlisted the help of others to avoid being arrested.

“As would be expected, Cst Worden’s violent death had a profound impact on his loved ones and on his community,” she wrote.

“The trauma resulting from this has been significant and not surprisingly, despite the passage of time, the suffering continues.”

Residents of Hay River and RCMP hold a vigil in the town every October to keep Worden’s memory alive.

Charbonneau said Bulatci’s correctional record shows he “did not do well” when he first began serving his sentence, describing him as “impulsive, thrill seeking and aggressive.” She noted that between 2011 and 2018, he was involved in several incidents – many of which involved violence – engaged in “threatening and disrespectful behaviour,” and tested positive for the use of unauthorized substances.

Charbonneau said that Bulatci has since made “considerable progress,” has actively participated in counselling, completed multiple educational and skills programs and has maintained steady employment. She also noted that he was transferred to Stan Daniel’s Healing Centre, a minimum-security facility, in January 2024.

“He appears to have made the most of the resources available to him,” she wrote.

“People who have worked with him in the institution described him as hardworking, insightful and remorseful for the lifestyle he used to lead and for Cst Worden’s death.”

Charbonneau concluded, however, that “those positive things” only reduce the nature of Bulatci’s offence, and the aggravating context in which it occurred, to a point.

“In my view, considering all the circumstances and the record before me, there is no reasonable prospect of this application succeeding before a jury.”