THUNDER BAY — LEGAL NEWS — A Thunder Bay man has been sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 14 years following a conviction for second-degree murder in the death of Rusty Russow in November 2022.
Travis Jacob Loon, 32, appeared before Justice Stephen Wojciechowski on December 12, 2025, for sentencing. The conviction stems from an incident that took place on November 14, 2022, at an apartment on Pearl Street, where Russow resided.
According to facts presented in court, Loon and his co-accused, Harley Loon, entered Russow’s residence shortly before 9 p.m. and remained there for approximately seven minutes. During this time, Russow sustained multiple fatal injuries.
A forensic pathologist later confirmed that the cause of death included a deep neck wound and blunt force trauma, among other injuries.
Russow’s body was discovered three days later, on November 17, 2022, by members of the Thunder Bay Police Service.
Crown Attorney David Pearce and Defence Counsel George Joseph were present during sentencing. The court acknowledged that Loon had a prior criminal history, including convictions for violent offences, and that he is currently receiving treatment while in custody.
A Gladue report and a pre-sentence report had been submitted for the court’s consideration.
Justice Wojciechowski, in delivering the sentence, noted the seriousness of the offence and the need for deterrence, particularly in a city that has faced challenges with violent crime. “This community has seen too much of this,” the judge stated, emphasizing the principles of denunciation and deterrence in determining the parole ineligibility period.
By law, second-degree murder in Canada carries a mandatory life sentence, with parole eligibility set between 10 and 25 years at the court’s discretion. With this ruling, Loon will be eligible to apply for parole in 2036.
Co-accused Harley Loon remains before the courts.
A pre-sentence report has been ordered, and his sentencing is scheduled for 2026. As proceedings are ongoing, no further comment on his case was made by the court.
