BRANTFORD -- A Brantford couple is angry and disappointed after their son's killer was sentenced to 12 years in prison in his death.

The murder charge against the man was also dropped to manslaughter.

Gerald Robert Male, known as Robbie, was shot and killed in his home on April 5, 2019.

Jana and Gerry Male now only have the ashes of their 37-year-old son.

"I just can't believe that all three of us got to see him and, within a week, week and a half, and then that was the last time seeing him alive," Jana said.

Two months after Robbie's death, 33-year-old Terry Chad Stuckless was charged with murder. Robbie's family was left to grieve and pick up the pieces.

"He was just a good-hearted person," Gerry said. "He had a big smile, he had a big laugh that would light up the room."

Court documents showed in August the Crown requested a plea for killing Robbie using a firearm and committing manslaughter.

"How they came up with manslaughter, I think it's a total error in law," Gerry said. "We were all totally devastated, this was just the worst thing that could've ever happened."

The documents also showed that Stuckless was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but given credit for two years of pre-sentence custody.

"Stuckless steals 40 years from him and he's going to only serve another 10 years potentially," Gerry said. "There's no justice in that."

Gerry said he's not confident in the appeal process, since the Crown requested the manslaughter plea.