Judge orders lawyer for Charlotte Lafferty's murderer

The mother of Charlotte Laffertysays she is glad her daughter's murderer will be provided a lawyer to appeal his sentence.

Keenan McNeely, 22, was convicted of first-degree murder for killing the young mother in Fort Good Hope almost five years ago.

On Monday, a judge ordered the Northwest Territoriesgovernment to provide McNeelywith a lawyer.

He's appealing his sentence of life with no parole for 10 years, as well as the decision to sentence him as an adult.

"I'm relieved he got a lawyer so we can move forward. Maybe this will all finally be done in 2019," Louisa Laffertytold CBC.

Lafferty says she plans to go to all of McNeely'sappeal court appearances.

McNeely was 17 at the time he beat Lafferty to death and sexually assaulted her in the early morning hours of March 22, 2014. He was within a month of his 18th birthday.

McNeely says he can't afford a lawyer and has only a Grade 9 education.

The Northwest Territories Legal Aid Commission refused to provide him with a lawyer to handle his appeal. In court documents, it says there isn't much chance of the appeal succeeding.

But in a Yellowknife courtroom on Monday, Justice Shannon Smallwoodin the Court of Appeal for the Northwest Territories said, while McNeely's appeal is not strong, it still meets the low standard to qualify for a publicly funded lawyer.

McNeely appeared in court by video from a southern prison. No date has been set for his appeal.