Edmonton man sentenced to 8.5 years for strangling roommate over apartment cleanliness

An Edmonton man pleaded guilty Tuesday to manslaughter in the death of his roommate, who was strangled following a dispute over apartment upkeep.

Joshua Fairley received 8.5 years in prison under a joint submission from defence and Crown. Court of King's Bench Justice Eric Macklin accepted the plea on the opening day of what was scheduled as a second-degree murder trial.

Austin Anderson, 29, was found dead in the basement suite at 8419-136 Ave on March 17, 2024, early in the morning after Anderson came home. The two had been living together since August 2023, after meeting at a Red Deer homeless shelter. The dispute centred on Anderson's cleanliness and maintenance of their shared space — a longstanding tension that escalated when Anderson interfered with Fairley's computer equipment.

Fairley called 911 and told the operator he had killed his roommate. A month later, while in Edmonton Remand Centre, he told a great aunt he "went at" Anderson after he began "messing with" the computers, adding he "didn't intend to kill him."

Prosecutor Fraser Genuis argued for a significant sentence to denounce the violence and deter similar crimes. Genuis noted that strangulation is not a quick method of killing, giving Fairley opportunity to stop, yet he continued. The Crown credited Fairley for calling emergency services instead of covering up the death, and for pleading guilty rather than taking the case to trial.

Fairley, described as an aspiring video game designer, had endured a tumultuous childhood before meeting Anderson.

Anderson's 10-year-old daughter read a victim impact statement through her mother, saying: "His murder has permanently changed my life. I had to grow up with a loss I was too young to carry. I have to live with unanswered questions and the knowledge his death was caused by someone he considered a friend."