A jury in Winnipeg has found a man guilty in the deaths of Joel Labossiere and his pregnant wife Magdalena. The two were shot to death inside their St. Vital home in 2008.

The jury found Kelly Clarke guilty of two counts of first-degree murder.

He had pleaded not guilty in the case.

When Clarke was led into court before the verdict was read out, he smiled and winked at his family.

The Crown based much of its case on the testimony of witness Steven Solomon. The defence, meanwhile, attacked his credibility.

During the trial, court heard details about how Joel was found dead in the kitchen, while his wife was found gunned down in the bedroom. Their one-year-old daughter was left crying and alone in her crib.

The jury took a day and a half to reach a verdict.

After the verdict was read out in court Thursday, relatives of both the accused and the victims broke down into tears.

"We have been waiting three and a half years. It's been a long time. It's a bit of a relief to come to an end," said Rose Labossiere, Joel's mother, outside the Law Courts.

She also submitted a victim impact statement, which was read out in court.

In it, she talked about the last day seeing them alive. Joel and Magdalena were looking forward to the arrival of their new baby and enjoying their new house, she wrote.

"Kelly Clarke, you have taken all that's left of my family. Joel was my only child," said the statement.

In it, Rose also wrote on behalf of Joel and Magdalena's young daughter, writing: "I'm four and a half now. I once had a daddy and mommy. They were killed by a bad man who came to our house while I slept. I cried for a long time."

Joel and Magdalena's orphaned daughter now lives outside of the country because of safety concerns.

While Clarke's trial has ended, it is not the last one for the Labossiere family.

"This is just one step done. The rest will come sooner or later," said Rose Labossiere.

Joel's relatives Rita, Fernand and Remi Labossiere, were found murdered in St. Leon in 2005. 

Jerome Labossiere, Joel's uncle, is charged in connection with those killings.

Joel and Jerome had been involved in an ongoing civil case over the family's estate.

After being found guilty of the two counts of first-degree murder, Clarke, 41, gets a mandatory life sentence, meaning he's not eligible for parole for 25 years.

When asked by the judge if he had anything to say after the jury's verdict, Clarke declined to speak.

Clarke's defence lawyer Greg Brodsky said he will be exploring legal options.

- with a report from CTV's Stacey Ashley