Teen Recruited Friends to Stalk and Murder Ex Girlfriend

After a high-profile Canadian trial, Leflar's killer, 19-year-old Skylar Procker was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Regina court. He'll become eligible for parole after a decade behind bars.

Sixteen-year-old Leflar was killed by her ex-boyfriend. After she ended their eight-month relationship in May, 2014, Prockner became intent on revenge, according to court documents. He began to fantasize about harming her and began stalking her. Leflar's friend, 19-year old Brenna Ecker, told CBC that after the breakup, Prockner's controlling behavior escalated.

"He was very much like, 'You're mine forever.' Like, 'Nobody else gets you," she says, alleging that Prockner contacted Leflar incessantly and stalked her at home and at school.

In October 2014, after discovering she was in a new relationship, Prockner and several as-yet-unnamed friends concocted a plot to murder Leflar's new boyfriend. Court documents state that they called the plan "Project Zombify" and purchased baseball bats and knives in preparation, but called the plan off when the couple broke up.

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In January 2015, Prockner's violence boiled over. After stalking Leflar online with a fake Facebook account, he discovered she was dating again. He recruited a male schoolfriend in a bid to lure Leflar to meet him alone after school. When that didn't work, the two boys went to her house. While his friend—who has pled guilty to second-degree murder, but is not named due to his age—waited inside the house, Prockner stabbed Leflar to death.

Aside from the tragedy of a teenage life cut short, what makes the Leflar case particularly shocking is that Prockner reportedly made few efforts to conceal his murderous plans. In fact, many students at her school knew about Procker's murderous intentions.

"It was surprising, but at the same time, it wasn't," fellow student Deanna Polsom told CBC News. "Many people knew about it but say they thought he was joking. They were 'so surprised.' They were 'so shocked,' but they thought they weren't to blame. Even though they knew about it and should have said something to anyone. "

According to court documents, Prockner recruited friends to help him stalk and torment Leflar in the months leading up to her death. One friend even enrolled on the same driver-training course as Leflar specifically to report back on her actions. And multiple teenagers were aware of his earlier "Project Zombify" plan.

"These were people that argued seriously that they were her best friends, and these were the people who contributed to her being murdered," said Polsom.

Despite this, none face charges. "Justice for Hannah was better served with these individuals as witnesses," Crown prosecutor Chris White explained.

As the dust settles from the verdict, many ask how so many people knew of Prockner's violent intentions and did so little. "For teens navigating online and offline relationships, especially when they include harassment, stalking, or abuse, it's especially difficult when they don't know where to turn," explains Keetha Mercer of the Violence Prevention Program at the Canadian Women's Foundation.

"Research shows that high school violence prevention programs are highly effective. Even years after attending a program, students experienced long-term benefits such as better dating relationships, the ability to recognize and leave an unhealthy relationship, increased self-confidence and assertiveness, and the ability to speak up for people who are being treated unfairly."

Mercer says that everyone has a role to play in ending violence against young women like Leflar. "It is important to speak up and challenge statements that justify violence when you hear them, hold abusers accountable for their actions, and don't agree with excuses for why the violence occurred," she says.