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One of two people accused of first-degree murder in the 2023 disappearance and death of Rose Kerwin west of Ottawa has pleaded guilty, CBC News has learned.
Marcel Lapensee appeared in Superior Court in Perth, Ont., on Thursday to enter the guilty plea, according to court records. He will automatically be sentenced to life in prison with no chance to apply for parole for 25 years.
His co-accused, Samantha Osborne, is set to appear in court separately this Wednesday, according to her lawyer Mark Ertel.
Lapensee and Osborne had earlier been scheduled to stand trial before a judge and jury for eight weeks, starting this Monday.
Marcel Lapensee, now 58, pleaded guilty on Thursday to first-degree murder. The sentence is automatic, but a formal sentencing hearing will take place at a later date and could include victim impact statements. (OPP)
Kerwin’s body was found in the Mississippi River near Pakenham, Ont., on Nov. 12, 2023, and she was reported missing the following day. Ontario Provincial Police later identified the body as Kerwin’s and deemed her death suspicious.
The 50-year-old had last been seen alive in Carleton Place, Ont., about 30 kilometres from where she was found.
In December 2023, Lanark OPP arrested and charged Marcel Lapensee, 56, from Carleton Place and 23-year-old Samantha Osborne from Iroquois, Ont., with first-degree murder.
Lapensee’s sentencing hearing is expected at a later date. He is being represented by Sean May.