Jury deciding fate of accused in explosion that killed disabled Alberta woman

RED DEER, Alta. — The fate of a central Alberta financial adviser accused of killing his disabled client with a bomb made to look like a Christmas present is now with a jury.

Brian Malley is charged with first-degree murder in the death of single mother Victoria Shachtay.

She died in November 2011 when she opened what turned out to be a homemade pipe bomb that had been left on her doorstep in Innisfail, Alta.

Jury members retired for deliberations after the trial judge instructed them Tuesday morning.

During closing arguments on Monday, the Crown argued that Malley killed Shachtay to cut his losses after he began paying her out of his own pocket when he lost almost all of her money.

The defence said there's no incriminating evidence against Malley, 57, and suggested the motive just doesn't make sense.

Shachtay was paralyzed in a car crash in 2004 when she was 16 and pregnant. Court heard she received a $575,000 court settlement in 2007 and turned to Malley, a family friend, to help her invest the money. She also borrowed another $264,000 to bump up the fund.

On Nov. 25, 2011, a green-and-gold gift bag was delivered to her door. Her caregiver brought the package inside and Shachtay opened it while sitting in her wheelchair at the kitchen table.

The 23-year-old was killed instantly. Her caregiver wasn't hurt and Shachtay's daughter wasn't home at the time.

Court heard that part of Shachtay's money was lost due to drops in the market, but Malley also put some of her funds in high-risk investments.