PRINCE ALBERT — Jason Daniel McKay, the man convicted of killing his wife, Jenny Leigh McKay, has died in custody.
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), confirmed that McKay, 54, died on March 11 at Saskatchewan Penitentiary in Prince Albert. His next of kin has been notified. As in all inmate deaths, CSC, will review the circumstances.
On Feb. 24, Justice Beverly L. Klatt sentenced McKay in Regina Court of King’s Bench to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 17 years for the second-degree murder of his spouse. The sentence followed a Feb. 4 hearing where McKay pleaded guilty. He had previously been convicted in 2020 and received the same sentence, but the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal ordered a new trial in 2024.
In her written decision, Justice Klatt described the killing as “a case of indescribable viciousness.” Jenny was cut or stabbed 24 times and suffered 56 injuries in total. Some wounds were inflicted after death, and multiple knives were used.
“The nature of the wounds shows that Jason was intent on inflicting terror on Jenny, and even when she was clearly dead, he continued his gratuitous attack on her,” added Justice Klatt. “This utter disrespect and contempt for both human life and for a person’s body after death, are difficult to comprehend. It is even more difficult to find words to adequately describe the horror of the manner of the killing in this case.”
She added that McKay’s actions after the killing were “extremely disturbing.”
The Feb. 4 sentencing hearing opened with victim impact statements from Jenny’s parents, siblings and stepdaughter. They described her as a poet-turned-journalist whose life was marked by creativity, humour, curiosity and deep loyalty. She loved the outdoors, music, gardening and the ocean, and remained closely connected to her Nova Scotia roots. Her family said she had been trying to make meaningful changes in her life before she was murdered in Regina.
McKay was first convicted in 2020, but the Court of Appeal overturned the verdict in 2024, finding the trial judge failed to properly consider expert evidence about how drugs and alcohol could affect judgment, memory and intent. Before the new trial could begin in January, McKay entered a guilty plea.
According to court documents, police were called to the couple’s Regina home around 3:30 a.m. on Sept. 6, 2017, after Jenny’s mother requested a wellness check. Officers found McKay at the door, intoxicated and covered in blood. He told them, “She’s upstairs, she’s dead, I killed her.” Jenny was discovered on the kitchen floor with a large knife in her chest and dozens of stab wounds.
McKay was sentenced in 2020 to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 17 years, the same period imposed again in February.
