Teen pleads guilty to first-degree murder in Holmesville slaying

A teen charged in the 2024 death of an 11-year-old girl in Holmesville has pleaded guilty. CTV London’s Gerry Dewan has more on what comes next.

A teen has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in connection with the 2024 death of an 11-year-old girl in Holmesville.

The plea was heard Tuesday morning at the Huron County courthouse in Goderich.

Ontario Provincial Police were called to the scene of the murder on July 2, 2024. The court heard that the accused, who was 13 years old at the time of the offence, stabbed the victim more than 70 times and sexually assaulted her.

Assistant Crown Attorney Deanna Bronowicki, presenting an agreed statement of facts, told the court that the victim suffered “severe blood loss” and that the “major mechanism of death was exsanguination.”

The court was also informed of the accused’s sexual pursuit of the girl, with dozens of surreptitious and inappropriate pictures of the girl found on his phone, alongside over 2,000 internet searches for pornography.

Bronowicki stated that the stabbing occurred when the girl resisted the accused’s attempt to engage in sexual activity.

Superior Court Justice Marc Garson ordered the photos and forensic images related to the case sealed, noting their “disturbing and graphic nature.”

Shortly after the stabbing, the teen assailant contacted 911, falsely reporting that the girl had been abducted by three men in a white truck. OPP officers encountered the youth on the side of the road, covered in blood, which quickly raised suspicions.

Under Canadian law, a killing committed during the course of a sexual assault constitutes first-degree murder.

While a first-degree murder conviction for an adult carries an automatic 25-year life sentence with no parole, the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) imposes a maximum sentence of 10 years for young offenders convicted of this crime.

This sentence is divided into a maximum of six years in continuous custody, followed by up to four years of conditional supervision in the community under strict conditions.

For serious violent offenses, courts can issue an Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision (IRCS) Order, which provides highly structured treatment plans while in custody, though the overall sentence cap remains 10 years.

A psychiatric assessment was previously conducted, and an updated report has been ordered following the guilty plea.

This, along with a separate pre-trial report, will be presented to the court on Aug. 10, at which time a date for the sentencing hearing is expected to be set.