FLIN FLON, Manitoba – Robert Alexander Bear has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for at least 13 years for the second-degree murder of 10-month-old Chase Pearl McCallum-Fleury in Flin Flon, Manitoba.
The heartbreaking case unfolded as the baby’s mother, Charity Fleury, returned to work after maternity leave, leaving her daughter in Bear’s care. Chase was found in medical distress at home while Fleury was at work. Court testimony revealed that Bear had volunteered to watch the baby after Fleury’s child-care plans fell through.
Bear, who was Fleury’s boyfriend, was found to have caused the severe blunt-force trauma to the baby’s head, resulting in her tragic death. Despite a trial based on circumstantial evidence, no reasonable explanation ever emerged for how or why the fatal injury occurred, according to Court of King’s Bench Justice Sheldon Lanchbery.
During the sentencing, Fleury expressed the unimaginable horror of her 10-month-old daughter’s murder and the lasting impact it has had on her life. The emotional toll of the tragedy was evident throughout the trial, with witnesses breaking down in tears as they recounted the devastating loss.
Lanchbery, in delivering the sentence, prohibited Bear from possessing weapons for 10 years and issued an order preventing him from contacting Fleury while imprisoned. He urged both families to find a way forward, addressing the immense pain and long-standing trauma caused by the heart-wrenching events.
The case brings to light the deeply tragic consequences of a senseless act, leaving behind a grieving family searching for a way to heal and find closure in the wake of their unimaginable loss. Chase’s memory lives on, and her grandmother expressed the pain of a life cut tragically short as she reflected on milestones her granddaughter will never experience.
As the legal proceedings reach a conclusion, Fleury remains haunted by the unanswered questions of her daughter’s final moments, yet she bravely strives to find forgiveness within herself while mourning the tragic loss of her beloved baby.