After nearly 9 years since Chelsey Gauthier’s passing, and spending almost a year in court proceedings and trial in 2025, Gary Donald Losch has applied for an appeal. He has only now (January 23rd 2026) spent just over a month in jail.

We strongly believe that the original trial was fair, properly conducted, and fully supported by evidence, and that granting an appeal without clear legal grounds could undermine justice, public confidence, and the rights of victims.

Facts about Indigenous women and girls in Canada;
 • Indigenous women and girls are killed at a rate about six times higher than non-Indigenous women and girls.

 • Between 2009 and 2021, there were 490 Indigenous female homicide victims nationally.

 • Of those cases with a guilty finding, about 91% of the guilty accused were sentenced to custody, with an average of over 11 years of jail time.

 • 62% of these offenders appealed their convictions, and of those, 37% succeeded.

Gary Donald Losch received a sentence of 8.5 years in total, including time served.

Age and power dynamics:

 • About 58% of accused were between 18 and 34 years old.

 • Over half of male assailants of women aged 24 or younger were more than 5 years older than their victims, and roughly one-third were 10 or more years older.

 • Gary Donald Losch falls into this pattern of significant age difference between assailant and victim, which highlights the power imbalance in the crime.

Why this appeal should not be approved:

 1. Fair trial conducted

The conviction followed a full trial under Canadian law, with proper procedures and evidence supporting the verdict.

 2. Appellate precedent

Serious criminal convictions are only overturned if substantial legal errors occurred. Examples include:

 • Dellen Millard and Mark Smich (Ontario) – appeals rejected in 2023
• Phillip Tallio (British Columbia) – appeal dismissed in 2021

These cases show that courts only intervene on legitimate legal grounds, not because a convicted person disagrees with the verdict.

 3. Victims’ rights matter: Canadian law guarantees that victims and their families have the right to be informed, participate, and have their concerns considered in the appeal process.

 4. Protecting public safety and justice: Granting an appeal without clear legal errors risks public safety, justice, and confidence in the criminal justice system.

Canadian law allows a convicted offender 30 days following sentencing to initiate an appeal and permits an application for bail while that appeal is pending. Although these provisions exist within the legal system, their application in this matter is fundamentally unjustified. Entertaining bail or appellate relief in this case minimizes the severity of the offences, dismisses the profound harm caused, and undermines both the integrity of the conviction and public confidence in the justice system. This was a lawful and deliberate verdict. It should stand without exception, leniency, or further reconsideration, and the offender should remain in custody for the full duration of the sentence imposed.

We call on the Attorney General of British Columbia and the BC Court of Appeal to oppose this appeal unless clear and demonstrable legal errors are presented. Justice for Chelsey Gauthier and respect for her family must remain the top priority.

Sign this petition to show support for justice for Chelsey Gauthier and to ensure that the appeal process is not used to undermine a fair trial.

(Please see my other petition for details on Chelsey Gauthier’s trial) 

Justice must be upheld. Chelsey; her friends, her daughters, and her family deserve it.