Man sentenced to time served in 2018 death of Darrion Moffatt

Raul Huezo has been sentenced in connection with the 2018 murder of Darrion Moffatt. CTV Windsor's Robert Lothian has more.

A Windsor man has learned his fate for his role in the 2018 murder of 18-year-old Darrion Moffatt.

In a Windsor Superior Court Room, Raul Huezo, now 25, was sentenced to time served plus one day after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit an assault last week.

“This is a turning point for you, Mr. Huezo,” said Justice Bruce Thomas.

“You step out of custody after one further day in custody to a new world for you, you make the best of it, I hope.”

He had previously been charged with murder in Moffatt’s death.

The court previously heard Huezo was asked to stand guard outside a Hall Avenue home on Sept. 8, 2018, where tenants were known to sell marijuana.

An agreed statement of facts indicated Huezo was to stop people from entering because “a kid inside named Darrion” was being “beat up for stealing.”

It was later determined Moffatt sustained blunt force injuries and a gunshot wound to the head.

The crown had asked for a mandatory sentence for the charge, which is five years.

Huezo was credited for four years and nine months served.

Lost Bullet

Ahead of Justice Thomas’s decision, the court heard victim impact statements penned by the family and friends of Moffatt.

Carolyn Crankshaw, Moffatt’s mother, spoke of the mental and physical effects on her family’s life in the seven years without her son.

“I don’t live in a constant breakdown. I live in a constant effort not to have one,” she read.

Over the last seven years, the case has been interrupted by pandemic restrictions and marred by the loss or alteration of evidence.

After being “gagged” by court proceedings and publication bans, Crankshaw shared on Wednesday that the bullet recovered from Moffatt’s gunshot wound was lost.

“Knowing that pieces of the truth, the evidence of my child’s death, were carelessly lost has shattered any remaining trust I had in the system,” Crankshaw said.

Standing outside the courthouse, Devin Bains, Huezo’s defence attorney, told CTV News the bullet was lost in transit.

“Police decided to mail it instead of driving it, down to the center of Forensic Sciences. They say that’s because there was a sudden policy change that is undocumented,” Bains noted.

Sadly, Bains said, the bullet may have aided in finding the associated firearm and “the real person” responsible for Moffatt’s death.

Making a change

The sentencing left Crankshaw “extremely disappointed” in the justice system.

In an effort to move forward, she’s hopeful to start a non-profit called “Darrion’s Promise” to help other families progressing through the system.

She noted the lengthy process, little notice and experiences with victim services left her feeling “mistreated.”

“I’m just going to start putting everything I can into creating a legacy for Darrion and making sure that his name is never forgotten, because I know that the system is going to forget him,” Crankshaw said.

As for Huezo, Crankshaw said, although her family will never receive the closure they need, she’s forgiven him for his actions on the night of her son’s death.

“He’s being given a second chance to do something positive with his life. If I can plant a seed of hope, then I’d rather do that than just have hatred in my heart for what has happened,” she said.