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Emrah Bulatci won't get his appearance before a jury, but he's welcome to apply to appear again if he wants.

A decision by the NWT Supreme Court was issued on July 8 on Bulatci's application for early release from prison under what's known as the "faint hope" clause. 

The clause, which was repealed from the Criminal Code of Canada in March 2011, allowed anyone sentenced to life in prison with a parole eligibility of more than 15 years to apply for early release once theySA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½™ve served at least 15 years of their sentence.

The clause isnSA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½™t applicable to those who committed crimes after Dec. 2, 2011, but since Bulatci was convicted in 2009, he was eligible to do so.

"In my view, considering all the circumstances and the record before me, there is no reasonable prospect of this application succeeding before a jury," wrote Judge Louise Charbonneau in her judgment. "The application is screened out."

Charbonneau did not adhere to a request by the Crown which would have barred Bulatci from applying again, noting Bulatci's behaviour in custody has improved over the last half-decade.

Bulatci was found guilty of first degree murder in the death of  Const. Christopher Worden in 2007 in Hay River. At the time, he had travelled from Alberta to Hay River to sell crack cocaine. He was already on probation and under two separate firearm prohibitions, but arrived in town with a semi-automatic handgun.

Worden encountered Bulatci by complete coincidence on Oct. 6 SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” he was in the area to do a wellness check-up on a potentially suicidal person when he met Bulatci on the street. He asked for Bulatci's name and then told him he was under arrest. Bulatci, who had the loaded handgun in his pocket, turned and fled and Const. Worden pursued him. During the chase, Bulatci turned and fired two shots at Worden, hitting him in in the pelvis and thigh. Worden continued the chase in spite of these injuries, 

Bulatci tripped and fell, allowing Worden to catch up to him. Worden attempted to pin Bulatci down, but Bulatci was still carrying the loaded handgun and fired two more shots, hitting Worden in the chest and neck, killing him.

Fleeing back to his home in Edmonton, Bulatci dyed his hair and used coloured contacts to disguise his appearance, but to no avail. He was arrested six days later by the Edmonton Police Service following a Canada-wide manhunt. Recorded conversations between him and an undercover police officer while he was in jail revealed Bulatci boasted about his crimes and was, at the time, proud the police used helicopters and armoured vehicles to arrest him.

While awaiting trail, Bulatci was recorded asking family members and his girlfriend to "silence" a witness who could have been called to testify against him SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” a cab driver who testified he saw Worden chase Bulatci behind a building and then heard gunshots. A witness in the trial who admitted to helping Bulatci escape Hay River said Bulatci was chastising himself for not killing the cab driver himself.

A jury found Bulatci guilty on Nov. 19, 2009 after a 19-day trial.

In his initial years in prison, Bulatci kept getting into trouble, charged with multiple incidents of violence and drugs, though Charbonneau noted since 2018 his behaviour has improved considerably, which she said is why she left the option for him to re-apply.

Having a life sentence hasn't stopped Bulatci from interacting with the outside world SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” following his conviction parole board documents show he maintained a common-law relationship with his girlfriend, whom he had a child with prior to his conviction, until 2013. In 2016, he married again and had a second child.

Corrections Canada allows inmates to have up to 72 hours of private visits with spouses or family members every two months. His long-distance romance did not last, however. His second wife divorced him in 2021.

Bulatci has had a few trips outside of prison SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” he was granted escorted trips to complete paperwork to get an identification card and to establish a bank account. 

In 2024, because of his good behaviour, steady employment in prison and involvement with faith groups, Bulatci was reclassified as a minimum security inmate and transferred to Stan Daniel's Healing Lodge. He is not eligible for unsupervised temporary absences from prison until 2029.

Hay River has been holding remembrance ceremonies for Worden every year since his death with the most recent one happening in October 2024.