{"id":857100,"date":"2026-08-13T22:58:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T22:58:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/857100\/"},"modified":"2026-08-13T22:58:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T22:58:23","slug":"no-sentence-can-bring-back-sons-says-mother-of-2-boys-murdered-by-their-father","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/857100\/","title":{"rendered":"No sentence can bring back sons, says mother of 2 boys murdered by their father"},"content":{"rendered":"

The mother of two Saint John boys who were stabbed to death by their father last year says no sentence can bring back her sons, \u201cthe greatest joy” of her life. <\/p>\n

\u201cNothing that happens in a courtroom can lessen the loss of my children or the grief that I will carry with me for the rest of my life,\u201d Roman Kamyshnyy\u2019s ex-wife wrote in a statement issued after his sentencing Thursday in the New Brunswick Court of King’s Bench.<\/p>\n

Kamyshnyy, 46, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years after a jury found him guilty in June<\/a> of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of the boys, aged 10 and 17.<\/p>\n

Justice Darrell Stephenson noted it\u2019s an automatic sentence stipulated by the Criminal Code, and while each charge carries that sentence, the law also requires the sentences be served concurrently. <\/p>\n

\u201cI must say, I’ve never felt more constrained by that reality than today,\u201d he told the courtroom after telling Kamyshnyy he had “no desire to waste further words on [him].”<\/p>\n

\u201cWords simply cannot capture the horror and depravity of Mr. Kamyshnyy\u2019s actions and the impact they have had on the lives of so many.” Most notable among these, Stephenson said, are Kamyshnyy\u2019s ex-wife, identified only as Witness A because of a publication ban<\/a>, and her family.<\/p>\n

Kamyshnyy\u2019s motive was \u201cquite simply vengeance<\/a>,\u201d the judge said, as nearly all the jurors who convicted Kamyshnyy returned to court to witness his sentencing, looking on from the public gallery. <\/p>\n

WATCH | Life sentences for man who murdered his 2 boys:\"\"<\/p>\n

Saint John father sentenced for stabbing children to death<\/p>\n

Roman Kamyshnyy was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years for the 2025 murders of his sons in Saint John. The judge said Kamyshnyy killed the boys, 10 and 17, as an act of vengeance toward his ex-wife over the end of their marriage. Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of domestic violence.<\/p>\n

Evidence presented at the two-week trial and the testimony of 23 Crown witnesses showed Kamyshnyy made and carried out his plan to murder his children to hurt his ex-wife \u201cin the most gruesome manner imaginable [over] the ending of their marriage and relationship,\u201d Stephenson said.<\/p>\n

Witness A had divorced Kamyshnyy just two months prior and was in Ottawa for a work conference on Jan. 29, 2025, the day of the killings, the trial heard.<\/p>\n

Kamyshnyy stabbed each of his sons multiple times<\/a> in their north end apartment, overcoming the teen after a \u201cviolent struggle heard by neighbours and captured on the 911 call,\u201d which was played at trial<\/a>, Stephenson said.<\/p>\n

Betrayal of \u2018epic proportions,\u2019 Crown says <\/p>\n

The teen, identified only as C.D., \u201cfought for his life in his home against his father,\u201d Crown prosecutor Elaina Campbell said Thursday.<\/p>\n

He is not here to describe this betrayal, she said. \u201cBut I will ask the court to find that it was of epic proportions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the man over there that was supposed to protect him at all costs,\u201d Campbell said, turning to Kamyshnyy, who sat in the prisoner\u2019s box, flanked by sheriff\u2019s deputies.<\/p>\n

\"AFour areas of the knife found near the 17-year-old’s body matched his DNA profile, the jury heard. (Court of King’s Bench exhibit)<\/p>\n

These murders have had a profound, immeasurable impact on the community and “changed the fabric” of the greater Saint John area, Campbell said.<\/p>\n

She described parents struggling to explain “this evil” to friends, classmates and teammates of the boys. And police officers are haunted and heartbroken. <\/p>\n

The killings \u201cstrike directly at the community\u2019s obligation to care about the well-being of children,\u201dCampbell said.<\/p>\n

But the community\u2019s response also carried an important message, she said. \u201cThese children were part of Saint John and their lives mattered.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AKamyshnyy gave a videotaped statement to Sgt. Tony Gilbert, of the Saint John Police Force’s major crime unit, on April 23, 2026. (Court of King’s Bench voir dire exhibit)<\/p>\n

Kamyshnyy addressed the court. He maintained he did not remember<\/a> what happened that day. The trial heard he shot himself in the head twice with a nail gun in an attempted suicide.<\/p>\n

“It wasn\u2019t predicted, it wasn\u2019t planned \u2026 completely,” he said.<\/p>\n

He also continued to blame his ex-wife before the judge cut him off.<\/p>\n

Kamyshnyy showed no reaction to the sentence imposed, which included several conditions.<\/p>\n

He was ordered to have no contact with his ex-wife, any members of her family or three other individuals, to submit a DNA sample, not to possess any firearms or weapons for life, and to pay a $400 victim fine surcharge.<\/p>\n

Defence lawyer Shanna Wicks declined to comment after court or say whether she intends to appeal.<\/p>\n

The parole board will determine whether Kamyshnyy is granted parole after serving the minimum 25 years.<\/p>\n

Several victim impact statements submitted<\/p>\n

Several people submitted victim impact statements to the court, including Witness A\u2019s mother, who described Kamyshnyy as a \u201cmonster\u201d with a \u201cdeeply disturbed mind,\u201d and Witness A\u2019s brother, who said his \u201cheart is shattered forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Police officers, the manager of the 10-year-old\u2019s basketball team, a counsellor from the high school the teen attended and Witness A’s lawyer, who is a former Saint John mayor, also submitted powerful statements about the impact on themselves, their co-workers, families and the community at large.<\/p>\n

\"AMel Norton, the lawyer for Kamyshnyy’s ex-wife, identified only as Witness A, read a statement on her behalf following the sentencing. Norton, a former Saint John mayor and councillor, also submitted his own victim impact statement on behalf of the community, which he read aloud in court. (Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Cammarano\/Radio-Canada)<\/p>\n

The boys’ mother made no submissions to the court and did not attend the hearing, which the Crown suggested “speaks volumes.<\/p>\n

“This is not her worst nightmare because she doesn’t get to wake up from it.”<\/p>\n

Boys \u2018deeply loved, and full of promise\u2019<\/p>\n

The mother did issue a public statement through her lawyer, Mel Norton, who read it aloud to reporters outside the courthouse following the proceedings.<\/p>\n

The sentencing \u201cmarks the end of a very long and painful chapter,\u201d and she is grateful the person responsible for taking her children from her has been held accountable, she said.<\/p>\n

As the case moves beyond the courtroom, however, she hopes her sons will be remembered not for how they died, but for how they lived.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy children were so much more than the circumstances of their deaths. They were joyful, deeply loved, and full of promise.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey had their own personalities, friendships, dreams, and futures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Life split into \u2018before\u2019 and \u2018after\u2019<\/p>\n

In her victim impact statement, Witness A\u2019s mother said Kamyshnyy destroyed the lives of her family and deeply traumatized many relatives and friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cSadly, this trauma will remain with us for the rest of our lives,\u201d wrote the woman, whose name is also protected by the publication ban. “Such an act leaves lasting scars on the heart and mind. It also shatters trust in people.<\/p>\n

\u201cYet one thing can never be taken away from us: precious memories of the happiness, love and joy we shared. Those memories will remain with us forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Witness A\u2019s brother, whose name is also protected, said the murders have split his life into \u201cbefore\u201d and \u201cafter.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boys he held in his arms since they were infants were like his own, he said, noting the youngest was his godson. \u201cIt is impossible to describe the horror I have gone through.\u201d<\/p>\n

He fell into a deep depression and lives with constant anxiety, worrying about his sister, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife will never be peaceful again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Continues to grieve, rebuild life<\/p>\n

The boys’ mother said she is grateful to the first responders, criminal justice officials and citizens near and far who offered support, kindness and compassion \u201cthrough an experience that no parent should ever have to endure.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour generosity has carried me through some of the darkest moments of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her focus now, she said, is on carrying forward the memory of her sons, \u201chonouring the lives they lived, and finding a way to move ahead with them always in [her] heart.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The mother of two Saint John boys who were stabbed to death by their father last year says…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":857101,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,41,39,42,40],"class_list":["post-857100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=857100"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857100\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/857101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=857100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=857100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=857100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}