Halfway house stay extended

Parole board makes adjustment to Framboise man’s conditions

“Since your release on full parole, you have been fully compliant with your correctional plan.”

William Innis Parole board member

FRAMBOISE — A Richmond County man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the strangulation death of his mother is to spend another four months at a halfway house.

Merlin Demers-Kennedy, 37, was granted parole in August with a number of conditions including that he live at a halfway house.

In a decision dated Dec. 2, the parole board extended time at the facility for an additional four months along with conditions he abstain from drugs not prescribed to him, he follow a treatment plan devised for his mental health and that he take all medications as prescribed.

“Since your release on full parole, you have been fully compliant with your correctional plan. You have been compliant with the rules of the halfway house and there is no indication of any negative behaviour. You have obtained part-time employment doing odd jobs,” said parole board member William Innis, in the decision.

Innis said the reason for the extension, at the request of Demers-Kennedy’s case management team, is that Demers-Kennedy has not yet finalized his plans for living accommodations after his time at the halfway house. The decision also noted that Demers-Kennedy agreed with the extension.

Demers-Kennedy was charged in connection with the death of his mother, 57-year-old mother, Michelle Demers-Kennedy, who was last seen alive on May 3, 2013.

She was reported missing on Mother’s Day (May 12) of that year and her remains were unearthed from a burial site in a wooded area off North Framboise Road in May 2015.

Her son was initially charged with second-degree murder but pleaded guilty to the included offence of manslaughter.

He was sentenced to 10 years in June 2015 and with credit for time spent on remand, his sentence amounted to seven years, nine months and 21 days.

In a statement to RCMP, Demers-Kennedy said he went to his mother’s house in May 2013 with the intention "to take her to the police so I could stop her from raping me." There was no evidence presented at his sentencing hearing to prove or disprove such a claim.

Police found the victim’s car in the driveway and a pair of broken eyeglasses at the edge of the driveway.

After searching Merlin Demers-Kennedy home and vehicle, police found human hairs in the trunk of his car which were confirmed to be those of his mother.

Demers-Kennedy told police he went to his mother’s home to confront her, they argued and that he hit her. He put her body in the trunk of his car and drove to a wooded area where he strangled her with a rope her before burying the body.

He would later assist police in locating the remains.

At the time of sentence, the court was told DemersKennedy suffered extensive emotional and physical abuse as a child at the hands of his father who died as a result of an all-terrain vehicle accident. At age 13, he also found the body of his 11-year-old brother after he had hung himself from a tree in the woods. Demers-Kennedy is the eldest of five children.

He had received a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and at the time of the crime had stopped taking his medication.