Toronto man who stabbed, decapitated mother in 2022 found guilty of 2nd-degree murder
Warning: Readers may find the content in this article disturbing
Dallas Ly has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his mother, whom he stabbed during a dispute in 2022 before decapitating and dumping her remains on the side of the road in east Toronto.
A jury handed the verdict to Ly, 23, at Toronto's Superior Court of Justice on Wednesday afternoon after a day of deliberations.
Ly was charged with second-degree murder after he repeatedly stabbed his mother, Tien Ly, during a dispute in the Leslieville apartment they shared in March 2022. In the aftermath of the killing, Ly proceeded to decapitate his mother's corpse and dispose of it in garbage bags on Eastern Avenue.
At the beginning of his trial in Toronto, he pleaded not guilty to the charge, but admitted to the killing – his lawyers argued the act was not a murder, but a moment of panic and self-defence.
In his testimony, Ly told the jury he suffered years of abuse at the hands of his mother. She would beat him with shoes, her fists and a wooden backscratcher that left scars, he told the jury. A photo of Ly’s back with red bumps and scarring that was said to have been caused by his mother was shown to the jury.
Called by the defence, Dr. Mitesh Patel, a psychiatrist at Youthdale Treatment Centre, said that he found evidence of a "significant and long-standing" history of severe child abuse and neglect. He also found that Ly was suffering from PTSD and major depressive disorder when he killed his mother and that the diagnoses could have played a role in his actions.
The prosecution, on the other hand, told the jury there had been no sufficient proof that Ly’s PTSD had been present before the homicide. They suggested the young man had developed the condition in the aftermath of the killing instead.
The homicide was not influenced by a mental health condition developed over years of abuse, the prosecutor argued, but carried out in anger at his mother. Ly's accounts, given to the psychiatrist and later to the jury while on the stand, have shifted, with Ly describing his mother more and more aggressively over time, they said.
A conviction of second-degree murder will see Ly handed an automatic life sentence. A timeline for parole eligibility will be decided at a later date.
Exhibit from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6973063.1721671746!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Kamala Harris endorsement excites Democrats, but what could it mean for Canada?
U.S. President Joe Biden's endorsement of Vice-President Kamala Harris as his possible replacement stirred excitement among Democrats, but one analyst has concerns about what a potential Harris presidency would mean for Canada.
Four suicides in New Zealand linked to Ontario's Kenneth Law
New Zealand's coroner has ruled that four of its citizens died after ordering products from an Ontario man who is facing murder charges for selling poisonous substances.
These are the four leading vice-presidential picks for Kamala Harris' campaign
No one knows the importance of selecting the right running mate better than Vice President Kamala Harris.
Do you want to be happier? Here are 5 habits to adopt
If you look around at your friends and family — and even at yourself — it is apparent that some people perceive the glass to be half full, while others view it as half empty. Which habits can you adopt to increase your level of happiness? A social psychologist has these five tips.
Caught in 4K: Sask. men charged after poaching revealed in YouTube video
Two men in northern Saskatchewan were recently found guilty of multiple hunting violations after authorities discovered a YouTube video showing the crimes.
Police identify body of man who washed ashore on Nova Scotia's Sable Island
Nova Scotia RCMP has identified one of the bodies found on Sable Island earlier this month.
Toronto woman charged with voyeurism after taking 'intimate' photos during massage: police
A Toronto woman who allegedly took 'intimate' photos of an individual who was getting a massage has been charged with voyeurism, police say.
U.S. drops planned regulations for dogs crossing border from rabies-free countries
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control will not require onerous forms for dog owners crossing the border from Canada this summer.
'We failed,' says Secret Service director grilled on Trump assassination attempt
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said Monday that her agency failed in its mission to protect former President Donald Trump during a highly contentious congressional hearing with lawmakers of both major political parties demanding she resign over security failures that allowed a gunman to scale a roof and open fire at a campaign rally.