Carson Saul MacKay has been sentenced to two years in prison for the manslaughter of Jodine Millar. The British Columbia man admitted to causing the death of the 57-year-old woman and concealing her body in a remote area of Coquitlam.
A fatal shove and a steak knife in Coquitlam
The incident began in November 2022 inside a Coquitlam residence where Carson Saul MacKay lived alongside his then-partner, Sara Millar, and her mother, Jodine Millar. According to the court decision, an altercation erupted after Jodine Millar, who struggled with bipolar disorder, became paranoid and angry while Carson Saul MacKay was cleaning up dog vomit on the basement stairs. The report says Jodine Millar was holding a steak knife used for cutting medication when the confrontation turned physical.
During the fight, Carson Saul MacKay pushed Jodine Millar with significant force , causing her to fall backward into her bedroom. justice David M. Layton noted that MacKay was significantly heavier and taller than the victim and was acting out of frustration rather than self-defense. As a result of the push, Jodine Millar fell onto the steak knife she was holding, which became lodged in her body, leading to her death.
The clandestine grave on Burke Mountain
Following the death, Carson Saul MacKay chose to hide the body rather than contact emergency services.. As reported in the court documents, MacKay wrapped Jodine Millar in blankets and secued the remains using rope, tape, and a dog collar. He then transported the body to a vacant, forested lot on Burke Mountain in Coquitlam, where he buried her in a surreptitious grave.
The deception continued the following day when Carson Saul MacKay reported Jodine Millar as a missing person. This calculated move delayed the discovery of the body for several months, as the remains were not recovered until May 2023. The court highlighted that this concealment desecrated the body and deprived the Millar family of the ability to mourn and bury their loved one promptly.
Why Justice David M. Layton accepted a two-year term
The sentencing in the B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster centered on a joint submission from Crown and defense attorneys.. Justice David M. Layton accepted a recommended sentence of two years and 99 days, with 99 days of credit given for time already served. Under Canadian law, judges typically grant substantial deference to such joint submissions unless the result would be so unreasonable that it suggests a breakdown in the justice system.
In determining the sentence, the court weighed the aggravating factor of the victim being killed in her own home—a place that should have been safe—against the mitigating factor that the death was a result of a brief incident and a significant element of chance. While the push was an unlawful assault, the court acknowledged that the specific manner of death (falling on the knife) was not an intended outcome.
The vulnerability of mental health patients in shared housing
This case reflects a precarious trend where family members move across provinces to provide care for relatives with severe mental health challenges. Jodine Millar had moved from Manitoba to British Columbia in July 2021 so her daughter could look after her. However, the stability of this arrangement collapsed when the relationship between Sara Millar and Carson Saul MacKay ended in August 2022, leaving a vulnerable woman living in the basement of a man she no longer had a familial or romantic tie to.
The volatility of this living situation underscores the risks faced by adults with bipolar disorder when their primary support systems are disrupted. When the domestic environment shifted from a care-based household to one of tension and frustration, the power imbalance between the physically dominant Carson Saul MacKay and the mentally ill Jodine Millar became a catalyst for tragedy .
The six-month gap before Jodine Millar was found
Despite the report stating that Carson Saul MacKay reported the victim missing the day after her death, a critical question remains regarding the timeline of the investigation. It is unclear why the saerch for Jodine Millar did not lead authorities to the Burke Mountain site until May 2023, six months after her disappearance. The source does not specify if MacKay provided false leads to investigators or if the remote nature of the forested lot simply hindered the search.
Additionally, the source provides the perspective of the court and the legal submissions but does not include statements from the Millar family regarding the joint submission. Whether the family viewed a two-year sentence as sufficient justice for the desecration of Jodine Millar's body remains an unaddressed point in the public record.
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