Although Nancy McKinnon admitted that she “started the ball rolling” in conspiring to execute her estranged husband, she continues to lie about her role in the murder, as prosecutor Shane Parker suggested in his cross-examination of the convicted killer.
McKinnon, 52, and her former boyfriend Joey Bruso were convicted of first-degree murder in the 2003 death of Nick Maradyn. The couple was sentenced to life in prison without a chance of parole for 25 years.
This week, after serving 19 years and seven months of her life sentence, McKinnon faces a jury and King’s Bench Magistrates’ Court David Labrenz for a faint hope hearing.
As it stands, McKinnon is eligible for parole in June 2025 and parole in June 2028.
Faint Hope motions were scrapped by Parliament in 2011, but those convicted before the law was changed can still apply after serving at least 15 years in prison.
The murder took place just 10 days before Maradyn’s divorce with McKinnon was finalized. Within 48 hours of his death, she attempted to make claims on his insurance policies.
McKinnon denied that money was her motive for murder, testifying that Maradyn was abusive and that she was angry.
“You exaggerated Nick Maradyn’s physical abuse to exaggerate your victimhood,” Parker suggested.
“He would do anything for you?”
On June 14, 2003, after 1 am, Maradyn received a phone call. Leaving his seven-year-old son to sleep on the sofa, he drove to a remote location off Highway 2A near Crossfield.
McKinnon and Bruso had only been together a few weeks when they killed Maradyn. Bruso and his victim had never met.
The call to the victim was made from McKinnon’s phone, but she denies making it.
“He would do anything for you?” Parker asked.
McKinnon replied, “Right.”
“He left the house in the middle of the night for a stranger?” Parker asked.
“I don’t know what was said,” she replied.
“Joey Bruso can’t be in two places at once”
Maradyn was found around 2am with a gunshot wound to the right side of his face. The passenger-side window of his truck was rolled down and he sat as if he had leaned forward to speak to someone.
A shell casing was found about 20 yards away, suggesting that Bruso had been lying in wait.
McKinnon denied stopping him so he was right where Bruso had a clean shot through the passenger window.
Parker asked McKinnon how Bruso was able to shoot Maradyn from 20 yards while stopping the victim at the same time.
“Miss McKinnon, Joey Bruso can’t be in two places at once,” Parker said.
“By my count…this is your sixth version of your role in the assassination of Nick Maradyn.”
“I’ve been working on myself”
After the murder, McKinnon told the friend she called Maradyn for help, then stopped him when he pulled up to her side after a U-turn at the side of the freeway.
“That was actually your first version of your role in the execution of Nick Maradyn,” Parker said.
On Tuesday, McKinnon told defense attorney James McLeod that she has changed during her time in prison and now accepts responsibility for Maradyn’s death.
“Looking back, I was a terrible person,” McKinnon said. “I used people, I manipulated them.”
The jury will hear evidence until next week before deciding whether McKinnon can apply for early parole.
