SURPRISE GUILTY PLEAS
Man admits to triple murder
Just days before he was to face a Calgary jury for the murders of his girlfriend, mother and stepfather, Dustin Duthie entered surprise guilty pleas.
Duthie sat dispassionately in the prisoner's box as Crown prosecutor Shane Parker read in a lengthy statement of agreed facts signed by the killer and his lawyer, Ray Dieno.
Duthie, 27, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the July 26, 2018, killing of his girlfriend, Taylor Toller, 24, and the fatal stabbing of his mother, Shawn Boshuck, 52, five days later.
While Duthie was cleaning up the crime scene after murdering his mother, his stepdad, Alan Pennylegion, 51, came downstairs in the family's Hidden Valley Drive N.W. home and discovered the grisly scene.
“The accused stabbed Mr. Pennylegion because he witnessed the accused cleaning up the blood of Ms. Boshuck in the kitchen,” Parker told Justice Glen Poelman.
Duthie pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Pennylegion's death.
Parker said five days before murdering Boshuck and Pennylegion, Duthie had slit Toller's throat at her Applevillage Court S.E. apartment suite.
The stepdad was stabbed eight times and his mother six times.
Duthie also stabbed and slit the throat of one of his own pit bulls, which survived after surgery, and his stepfather's canine, which was found dead with the victim, Parker said.
After killing Boshuck and Pennylegion, Duthie “shaved his head, showered and changed his clothes,” the prosecutor said.
He then went to a liquor store near Toller's residence, about 25 minutes away, before calling 911 and confessing.
Parker said that call will be played at Duthie's sentencing hearing, which is to be scheduled Friday.
He later confessed to police. Dieno, Parker and co-prosecutor Megan Riddell were scheduled to select a jury Thursday to begin hearing evidence in the trial of Duthie on Monday.
The case was in court for pretrial motions this week, but Duthie had a change of heart and guilty pleas were entered after counsel drafted a statement of agreed facts.
Before accepting the pleas, Poelman asked the Calgary man if he agreed with the facts read into the record by Parker.
“You have entered pleas of guilt to each of the three counts on the indictment against you,” the Court of Queen's Bench judge said, in addressing the admitted killer. “I have confirmed with your counsel that he has discussed with you what that means. … I accept his representations on that point. I have also heard here in court in your presence the facts,” Poelman said.
“I'm satisfied that there is a basis for me to accept the pleas.”
Toller's family released a statement urging those experiencing domestic abuse to seek help.
“We loved Taylor very much. The opportunity to see her grow and thrive was taken from her family and we are heartbroken. Domestic violence is insidious and it can happen to anyone.”
Duthie remains in custody pending sentencing.
Under provisions of the Criminal Code, he faces an automatic life sentence without parole for a minimum 25 years, but if consecutive periods of parole ineligibility are imposed, that could add between 10 and 50 years to his incarceration.