Appeal denied for Edmonton soldier found guilty of trying to kill her 3 children

An Edmonton woman found guilty of trying to kill her three children has been denied an appeal.

• Get the latest Edmonton updates right to your inbox

The woman, who can't be identified in order to protect the identities of her children, was a former military member who set fire to her home on the Edmonton Canadian Forces Base in 2015.

During her 10-day trial, the court heard the woman had learned her estranged ex-husband was to gain primary custody of her three children.

Days later, she gave her children Nyquil and removed the smoke detectors in the home before starting a fire in the basement.

The defence argued the woman had nothing to do with the fire, while the Crown Prosecutor said sending a farewell note with $10,000 in cash to a friend was evidence of her intentions.

In 2023, she was found guilty on three counts of attempted murder and arson. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

• Edmonton soldier found guilty of attempting to kill children in house fire 

In her appeal, the woman argued the judge in her trial erred in how he regarded evidence around the fire and failed to properly consider whether her evidence raised a reasonable doubt of guilt.

A panel of three judges dismissed the appeal Friday, saying the judge "relied on reason and common sense, life experience and logic in assessing the appellant’s credibility."

"The appellant has not established that the trial judge misapprehended any material evidence, nor that he relied on prejudicial or stereotypical reasoning in drawing inferences and assessing the evidence," the court decision read.

All three children escaped the fire and now live with their father.