Family and friends of Hailey Dugay, a 20-year-old woman who died after being shot on a rural road, say they’re feeling profoundly let down by Manitoba’s justice system after Hailey’s killer had his charge reduced to manslaughter last month.
Hailey Dugay, 20, was fatally shot near Fraserwood in 2018. William Comber was convicted of second-degree murder in 2022, but the Manitoba Court of Appeal reduced the conviction to manslaughter in March. Sentencing is expected before June
The Manitoba Court of Appeal reduced the conviction to manslaughter, citing concerns with how intent was determined in the original verdict.
Hailey’s family and friends describe her as having been a loving, responsible young woman with a concern for others’ well-being and a passion for horses. Hailey graduated from Gimli High School and worked in the health-care system in the Interlake. She was looking forward to embarking on a new career in childhood education and buying a home with her boyfriend when she was fatally shot.
Hailey’s mom, Dana DesRoches, spoke with the Express last weekend, often crying as she expressed feelings of irreparable loss for her daughter who’d been a “light in our lives,” as well as a sense of betrayal by the appeal court’s ruling.
William Ryerson Comber, the man who took her daughter’s life, won an appeal to have his charge reduced from second-degree murder to manslaughter. The court ruled that the jury’s 2022 verdict hadn’t been reasonable with regard to intent when Comber shot at the vehicle. Intent to cause mischief to property was not the same as intent to cause bodily harm, it argued.
DesRoches said she set down some of her thoughts on paper as she and her family are experiencing a range of emotions that include anger and grief as they’re forced to relive the tragedy of Hailey’s death and thoughts about the man who killed her.
“When the jury convicted him of second-degree murder, it was a moment of hope, a glimmer of justice for Hailey and our family,” she said. “But now that hope has been overshadowed by a ruling that seems to diminish the seriousness of his actions. Hailey was shot down in a moment that was meant to be filled with life and possibility, targeted by a man who discharged his firearm with complete disregard for people inside that vehicle.”
Hailey was one of the passengers in a vehicle when she was shot in the back near Fraserwood on Nov. 18, 2018, after a celebratory night out at the Fraserwood Hotel with her boyfriend and friends. One of her friends in the vehicle performed CPR on her.
Her boyfriend had stopped briefly to speak with Jesse Paluk, who was standing on the road and had earlier been at the hotel where he was involved in a fight with other people. Paluk, who had attended school with Hailey, had been expecting those people to come after him. Paluk’s friend, William Comber, had joined him. Both men had guns as they had allegedly been hunting earlier in the day.
When Hailey’s boyfriend drove off, shots were fired at the vehicle, one of which took Hailey’s life. Police later determined that it was Comber who had fired the fatal shot.
In 2022, a jury found Comber guilty of second-degree murder, and in 2023 he received a life sentence with no parole for 12 years. He immediately appealed the verdict. And late last month, the Manitoba Court of Appeal reduced that charge to manslaughter.
DesRoches said she found out about the appeal court’s decision from the Crown attorney and was “taken aback as it was definitely not what I expected to come out of the appeal.”
And before she had a chance to sit down with her children, tell her mom and other family members and friends about the decision, a city media outlet reported on it, depriving her and her family of “privacy” to deal with what they feel is a “shocking” decision by the court.
“There was quite a bit of stress around that,” said DesRoches. “I hadn’t even had an opportunity to tell anyone, nor did Victim Services to reach out to [us] before the story was posted.”
DesRoches said she has been poring over the appeal court’s 54-page written decision, highlighting things she feels aren’t correct and trying to make sense of how the three justices came to their conclusion. And she’ll be meeting with a Crown lawyer this week to discuss it.
“[Comber] aimed not into the air, not into the woods, but directly at a car he knew contained human lives, including my precious daughter,” said DesRoches. “How can the act of shooting at a vehicle, fully aware that it houses innocent individuals, not be seen as an act of intent to cause harm? It defies logic and empathy, and it feels like a betrayal to our family and to Hailey’s memory.”
Added to that sense of betrayal is Comber’s history for “disregarding” the law, having been prohibited from owning a firearm, and exhibiting violent behaviour while imprisoned, after being denied bail, in which he threatened a delivery driver with a knife and escaped the facility before being arrested later.
“His defence was built on denying the truth, claiming he never had a gun, even in the face of overwhelming evidence,” said DesRoches.
During the trial, she said Comber made a comment after the family had read out their victim impact statement.
“He stood up and the only thing he said was, ‘I’m sorry she died. It wasn’t me,’” said DesRoches. “Then he sat down.”
With a lesser charge of manslaughter, it’s possible Comber could be released sooner.
The appeal court’s decision to reduce the charge has DesRoches concerned about the implication for other criminals to “evade true justice” and set a legal precedent (i.e., past cases that reflect principles lower courts follow to ensure consistency in the justice system) for future similar cases, she said.
“This ruling not only shifts the charge, but sends a disturbing message about accountability in our justice system. It suggests that intent can be excused or overlooked when the consequences are so dire — we’re talking about life and death,” said DesRoches. “The judge’s statement that the intention to cause mischief to property is not automatically synonymous with the intent to cause bodily harm should raise alarms for all of us. What precedent does this set for future cases?”
DesRoches said she’s hoping the outcome of the upcoming sentencing hearing will not significantly differ from the term Comber had already been given.
“This will never bring Hailey back. It’s definitely hard to have this brought up again. It will be almost eight years this November that we’ve been trying to heal from this, and they’re ripping the bandaid off,” she said. “We’ve not had any closure yet. We thought we had; now this has changed everything.”
Jasmine Kaegi, Hailey’s older sister and best friend that the DesRoches-Dugay family had adopted after Kaegi experienced a family tragedy, said the appeal court’s decision is “traumatizing” them.
The family is having to relive the circumstances around Hailey’s death and has to undergo the legal process once again after Comber had already been — by unanimous jury vote — found guilty of second-degree murder.
“It’s not right that it can be downplayed to manslaughter when there has been zero accountability or remorse shown from [Comber]. It’s traumatizing living through the court system again. It doesn’t feel right that shooting at a vehicle with known occupants can be considered manslaughter, especially when the person shooting is well aware of the risks of shooting a firearm in any capacity,” said Kaegi. “This wasn’t an accident that resulted in a death: this was a deliberate act that took a life and yet here we are, getting a lesser punishment from the appeal court.”
Kaegi said her family has been through so much already and they thought they had gotten closure after Comber got a life sentence.
“And now we’re back in the court system looking for justice and closure,” she said. “The whole situation simply isn’t something I’d wish anyone to have to go through. We just want some peace.”
To provide Interlake youth with programs that will help them develop self-esteem and provide them with life and career skills, as well as engage them in recreational activities, DesRoches set up a charity in her daughter’s name (Hailey’s Way Inc.) a few years ago, and the funds raised will go directly to progams and services.
Family friend Kristin Strachan, who serves as vice-chair of Hailey’s Way, said the court’s reduced charge, the drawn-out legal process and Comber’s lack of remorse do not feel like justice for Hailey and her family and friends.
“I was deeply disappointed to learn that the charges against Hailey’s killer, William Comber, were reduced from second‑degree murder to manslaughter. From what has been reported, this decision appears to rest heavily on arguments about where he supposedly aimed his gun at a moving vehicle — an act that nonetheless ended a beautiful young life,” said Strachan.
“This outcome feels profoundly unfair to Hailey’s family and friends, who must continue living with unimaginable loss. Prolonged and drawn‑out legal decisions only compound their suffering, forcing them to relive their trauma again and again. Justice delayed and diluted does not feel like justice at all.”
Comber has prior gun-related offences, displayed extreme behaviour while in custody and a “complete lack of remorse” for killing Hailey, she added, and this further deepens the sense of injustice surrounding the case.
“These factors raise serious questions about accountability and public safety, and they underscore why so many people feel betrayed by this outcome,” said Strachan. “Hailey’s life mattered. Her family deserves compassion, clarity, and a justice process that reflects the gravity of what was taken from them.”
DesRoches said she has not yet been given a date for the sentencing of Comber on the reduced manslaughter charge, but it’s supposed to occur before June.
She posted a message on the Hailey’s Way Facebook site to inform people of the reduced charge and thanked everyone for their “incredible support” during this challenging time.
People who want to express their thoughts on the appeal court’s decision to reduce Comber’s charge to manslaughter can reach out to their elected officials.
Interlake-Gimli MLA Derek Johnson: derek.johnson@leg.gov.mb.ca
Manitoba’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General Matt Wiebe: minjus@manitoba.ca
