Norman Lineham was napping on couch when he was killed.



Norman Lineham was described in victim impact statements as fun, loving and handy towards people close to him. (Submitted by Wanda Lineham)

A Fort McMurray woman has been sentenced to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the 2023 killing of her ex-boyfriend Norman Lineham.

Charlotte Mackey can apply for parole after serving 12 years of her sentence. She was sentenced on Monday. Her co-accused, Matthew Cooper, was her boyfriend at the time of the murder. He was given a life sentence in October 2025 after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.

A judge ruled Cooper would not be eligible to apply for parole until he had served 13 years of that sentence.

Lineham’s sister, Wanda Lineham, told CBC News on Monday that the family hoped Mackey would have had to wait longer to be able to apply for parole.

“His kids are devastated. They’re already outside crying,” she said outside the Fort McMurray courtroom. “Nobody is happy and this is going to weigh on all of us for a long time.

“I was hoping for at least 15, 16 [years] because [Cooper] didn’t even know my brother without her, so I don’t understand how he got more of a sentence than what she did.”

Lineham was stabbed more than 30 times by Mackey while he napped on a couch in his basement apartment. She was enraged that Lineham had insulted her in a Facebook post.

Justice Janice Ashcroft said Mackey was the attack’s “ringleader” during her sentencing. She agreed Lineham was a victim of intimate partner violence and called his murder brutal.

Ashcroft also cited a Gladue report that said Mackey’s life was impacted by colonization and intergenerational trauma as a result of Canada’s residential school system. The report noted Mackey is a sexual and domestic abuse victim who has struggled with addictions and mental health issues.

Lineham’s friends and family shook their heads as Ashcroft explained her decision. Mackey showed no emotion throughout the sentencing.

The day Lineham was killed

Agreed statements of facts filed during sentencing for both Cooper and Mackey said that Lineham and Mackey were in an on-again, off-again relationship since 2016. The two argued constantly, and Lineham sent messages to Mackey, her children and new partners that the defence and Crown described as “cruel.”

Mackey and Cooper broke into Lineham’s basement apartment on Sept. 21, 2023 with plans to harm him after she saw the Facebook post insulting her. Lineham was napping on a couch when Cooper started strangling him. Mackey beat Lineham and repeatedly stabbed him with a kitchen knife.

Police were called when Lineham’s body was discovered by his landlord.

Cooper was arrested on an unrelated matter on Oct. 2, 2023 when police saw him at Mackey’s home. He was initially arrested because Mackey had a no-contact order against him from a previous legal dispute. Cooper later confessed to his role in the murder and Mackey was arrested on Oct. 27, 2023.

A publication ban prevented coverage of Cooper’s sentencing in October. Mackey originally pleaded not guilty and wanted a jury trial. The court was concerned media coverage of Cooper’s confession would influence a jury. The publication ban is now lifted.

Family, friends struggle to feel safe since Lineham’s murder

Crown prosecutor Corinna Stevens argued in her closing statements in March that Mackey’s motivations were anger and revenge, disqualifying her from being a domestic violence victim.

“She was just mad. That’s what this is all about,” Stevens said at the time. “At the end of the day, she acted out of anger and that’s not mitigating.”

Mackey’s lawyer, James McLeod, responded that Lineham’s messages made her feel trapped, emotionally and mentally. He pointed to texts where Mackey says Lineham’s texts and social media posts towards her made her feel “stressed” and “not well mentally.”

Ashcroft said during sentencing Monday that Mackey was not trapped physically, but said Mackey was a domestic violence victim because Lineham was emotionally abusive.

“It is also important to consider that Ms. Mackey pled guilty, thereby showing some recognition of the harm she has caused and acceptance of responsibility,” Ashcroft said.

Victim impact statements read to the court this past March described Lineham as fun, loving and handy to people close to him. Some of his friends and family also reported experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after the murder, including anxiety, survivor’s guilt and nightmares.

Everyone who provided a statement said they had problems trusting other people. Lineham’s sister Wanda said she and other family members have left Fort McMurray because the community no longer feels safe.

“Nothing’s really changed. Everyday is a nightmare still,” Wanda said in an interview after sentencing. “We’re struggling. We think about it every single day and we don’t know when it’s going to get better, if it’s going to get better, if it’s gonna go away... [We’ve] just got to try to stay strong.”

By Vincent McDermott