'I choked her,' Justin Paul Campbell says to police during murder investigation

Colleen Connors · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 05, 2025 2:58 PM EST | Last Updated: November 5

Justin Paul Campbell wept uncontrollably successful an interrogation country astatine the RCMP detachment successful Deer Lake connected Sept. 8, 2023.

Cpl. Nichole Park was the interviewing officer. It was a time aft Campbell was arrested and charged with the first-degree execution of his grandma Eva Banfield, and theft implicit $5,000.

On Tuesday, the Crown played the afloat portion for the assemblage successful a Corner Brook courtroom.

"She had entree to truthful overmuch money, see," Campbell said during the confession.

"That's however almighty the cause is, that's my nan."

Campbell showed Cpl. Park however helium enactment Banfield successful a choke clasp from down portion she was doing the dishes, aft a roast meal they had shared astatine their duplex successful Deer Lake.

He said his encephalon was telling him if helium wanted to fume much ace cocaine helium was going to person to bash it.

"I choked her," helium told Cpl. Park.

"It took a portion for her to go. I enactment Saran wrapper astir her head."

Campbell said helium near Banfield connected the level for a small portion and helium went to spell get crack. He came backmost a fewer hours later, wrapped her successful blankets and enactment her down her furniture successful her chamber truthful cipher would find her.

Campbell said helium knew she had entree to a $9,000 enactment of credit.

WATCH | Campbell weeps during RCMP interrogation :

He utilized her telephone to transportation wealth from her enactment of recognition to her checking account, past sent an emailed wealth transportation to his ain slope account.

He told the constabulary serviceman that helium wanted a week to get high. On the video, helium explained that helium lied to Banfield's friends and family, telling them she had gone retired of municipality for a fewer days to Jackson's Arm and needed to disconnect, leaving her telephone behind.

He said his grandma would ne'er springiness him wealth due to the fact that she knew his past with substance maltreatment issues.

The video played for implicit an hour, portion assemblage members watched. Some jurors got rather emotional, crying astatine times, portion the video was projected connected the partition of the tribunal room.

Campbell watched with his caput down, rubbing his eyes respective times.

20 witnesses

Following the confession video, Crown attorneys Brenda Duffy and Kate Ashton called their last witness, aesculapian examiner Christopher Hough.

Defense lawyer Jonathan Regan has said precise small during the trial, asking lone 1 oregon 2 antagonistic questions to the astir 20 witnesses.

The assemblage of 8 men and six women heard grounds from an undercover constabulary serviceman and 2 of Campbell's friends who each said helium confessed to strangling and sidesplitting Banfield.

The undercover constabulary serviceman — whose individuality was covered by a ample achromatic encasement — told the assemblage helium pretended to beryllium a chap inmate with Campbell successful the RCMP Deer Lake lockup.

Campbell's friend, Justin Young, and his girlfriend, Holly Rubia, told the assemblage they had been partying with Campbell for 3 days, drinking and smoking ace cocaine. On the last night, helium told them astir the murder, saying helium was remorseful.

When the prima came up Young and Rubia went to the RCMP and reported him.

The Crown spent astir of the archetypal week of the proceedings calling friends and household members to the basal and showing the assemblage printed copies of substance messages and Facebook messages from Campbell that said Banfield had gone retired of municipality with a person named Mildred Day, to Jackson's Arm, and needed clip to disconnect.

He told them successful the messages that she had near her telephone location successful Deer Lake.

Bank statements

When Mildred Day entered the courtroom to testify, she broke down successful tears aft spotting Campbell.

After a interruption to constitute herself, she told the assemblage Campbell was lying and Banfield hadn't visited her successful years.

Booklets of printed substance messages were inserted arsenic grounds during Justin Paul Campbell's execution proceedings Oct. 30 2025. (Colleen Connors/CBC )

The Crown presented grounds to the tribunal displaying Banfield's slope statements, showing respective ample withdrawals from her enactment of recognition to her checking account, followed by wealth transfers to Campbell betwixt Sept. 1 and Sept. 7.

Forensic investigation of Banfield's telephone was besides portion of the Crown's evidence, which discovered substance messages betwixt Campbell and his grandma from Sept. 1, detailing that roast meal they shared.

A week aft that meal, Campbell was arrested and charged with first-degree execution and theft implicit $5,000.

He pleaded not blameworthy and the proceedings is astir complete. The defence isn't calling immoderate witnesses.

The assemblage has been told to instrumentality to the courthouse successful Corner Brook connected Friday for deliberation instructions.

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