Sooke man charged with manslaughter in shooting death of 42-year-old father
A Vancouver Island man is facing multiple charges, including manslaughter, in the shooting death of a 42-year-old father of two young boys near Sooke, B.C., last year.
Sooke resident Mike Leier was found in medical distress in the 8500 block of West Coast Road, near Otter Point, around 9:45 p.m. on March 12, 2023.
Mounties arrived on scene to find the man had died, police said in a statement at the time.
"Preliminary investigations revealed the man was likely injured in a remote wilderness area near Jordan River," the statement said, noting investigators did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the public.
The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit took conduct of the suspicious death investigation with assistance from the Sooke RCMP.
Now one year later, Adam John Steenbergen, who was born in 1990, has been charged with one count of manslaughter with a firearm, one count of careless use of a firearm, and two counts of loading a prohibited or restricted firearm, according to court records.
Heather Leier, the victim's wife, confirmed the man's identity to CTV News following the shooting.
Family and friends of the slain man set up an online fundraiser in the days after his death to help pay for funeral costs and child care.
"The community has lost such an incredible person. He was a husband, father, friend and a son," the fundraising page said. "He will be missed dearly and has left such an impact on so many people's hearts."
Steenbergen is scheduled to appear in Western Communities provincial court on March 28.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
B.C. man fighting for refund after finding someone living at Whistler vacation rental
Edwin Mostered spent thousands of dollars booking a vacation home in Whistler, B.C., for a group skiing trip earlier this year – or so he thought.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, U.S. officials warn
U.S. officials worry the next recession could be intensified by a cascading series of failures in the mortgage industry caused by crashing home prices, frozen financial markets and soaring delinquencies.