Calgary man pleads guilty in 2019 stabbing death of caseworker
A Calgary man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the death of a caseworker at an assisted living home that saw the victim suffer at least 19 stab wounds.
- Warning: details in this story may be upsetting to some readers
Brandon Jacob Spencer Newman made the plea Friday.
He was charged in the October 2019 death of Deborah Onwu at a Wood's Homes assisted living facility in the 1800 block of 27 Avenue S.W., a non-profit mental health centre that provides care for youth and their families.
Newman, who was 18 at the time, was a client at the home.
Investigators said Newman and Onwu got into a verbal and physical argument at which point she was fatally stabbed.
An agreed statement of facts says the woman suffered wounds to her face, neck, chest, thigh and ankle, with at least three wounds to vital organs.
She was stabbed 19 times.
After the killing, the statement says Newman walked away and stashed the knife under a bush about three houses to the east of the facility. DNA matching Newman and Onwu was found on the knife and handle.
Newman's lawyer told the court numerous times during the proceedings his client had a long history of violence, complex mental health issues and was childlike.
A sentencing date is expected to be set next week.
With files from CTV Calgary's Stephanie Thomas
This is a developing story and will be updated throughout the day
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.