Brett Davidson had just finished walking his dog in Calgary and was texting his new girlfriend when he encountered Cory Miklic, a violent criminal who launched a ruthless attack, stabbing him more than a dozen times.
On Tuesday, 44-year-old Miklic pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in front of Davidson’s family at the Court of King’s Bench in Calgary. The family listened as prosecutor Darren Maloney outlined the crime from an agreed statement of facts.
Davidson, a 39-year-old retired navy veteran who had recently moved to Calgary and was residing in an Inglewood condo on Ninth Avenue, was attacked by Miklic in the hallway of his building on August 27, 2022.
Miklic, with a history of 33 assault-related convictions, was out on bail for assault when he used a kitchen knife to stab Davidson multiple times without any clear motive, as stated by prosecutor Katrina Sole Kahler.
During the attack, two neighbors from the fourth floor heard the commotion, cries for help, and witnessed Miklic stabbing Davidson. They immediately called 911 while Miklic fled to his mother’s condo, leaving the knife in the kitchen.
Badly wounded, Davidson managed to make it downstairs to the building’s sidewalk, where he collapsed in front of the gym. Gym manager Stephen Leonard, along with others, tried to assist Davidson by applying pressure to his wounds and keeping him conscious until help arrived.
Despite efforts by first responders and medical staff at Foothills Medical Centre, Davidson succumbed to his injuries a few hours later. Meanwhile, Miklic, after watching a movie at a local theater, returned to the condo building and was apprehended.
Thirteen family members of Davidson submitted victim impact statements but requested them to be read privately by the judge. Labrenz sentenced Miklic to life in prison with a 13-year parole ineligibility period, a sentence agreed upon by the prosecution and defense.
The court emphasized the inexplicable and senseless nature of the crime, with Labrenz describing it as shocking, appalling, terrifying, and incomprehensible.