Ex-boyfriend jailed in slaying of SFU prof
Killer showed ‘callous and contemptible’ attitude by staying 3 days in apartment with body
A man convicted of killing Simon Fraser University Professor Melanie O’Neill has been sentenced to seven years in jail.
In October, Matthew James Scott, 28, pleaded guilty to the July 2011 manslaughter of the well-loved and brilliant 37-year-old scientist, a former common-law partner of the accused.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Catherine Bruce said there were many aggravating factors and few mitigating circumstances, apart from Scott’s guilty plea.
She noted that the victim, an associate professor in biophysical chemistry and chemical biology, was highly-regarded by her students and colleagues and could have made a substantial contribution to society.
Scott abused his former spouse, killing her in her own home on West 11th Avenue in Vancouver, the judge said, and on one version of events was uncertain as to whether she had died and did nothing to help her.
The couple had had a tumultuous relationship, with fights resulting in police being called to O’Neill’s apartment, and at the time of the killing, Scott was not welcome in her home.
On the night of the slaying, they had another loud argument and Scott threw her on the bed, lying on top of her and choking her to stop her from screaming. She died of asphyxiation.
Scott blamed his actions on his alcohol consumption, but the judge ruled that out as a mitigating factor, noting that he was an alcoholic who had a tolerance for drink and it wasn’t clear how drunk he was on the night in question.
After the death, Scott showed a “callous and contemptible” attitude toward O’Neill by staying in the apartment with the body for three days until the smell was so bad that he wrapped her in plastic and put the body in a closet, said the judge.
“For three days, he lied to her friends and work colleagues about her death and sent them on a wildgoose chase.”
He took some binoculars from her place and pawned them, and then accessed her computer, checking sites on rigor mortis and discussions of whether a body can be brought back to life using electricity. Scott, who has a prior criminal record, including convictions for uttering forged documents, impaired driving and theft, also went to O’Neill’s lab at SFU, using her keys to get in, and took some computer materials.
He returned to the residence and used O’Neill’s laptop to search the Internet for methods of suicide. He also accessed more than 200 pornographic and escort sites.
After being arrested, Scott misled police and provided information that led them to conduct an “embarrassing” investigation into O’Neill’s past sexual proclivities, said Bruce.
Police released Scott without charge but eventually launched a Mr. Big undercover operation that culminated in the accused confessing to the crime.
Scott, who was initially charged with second-degree murder, was planning to challenge the admissibility of that confession, but pleaded guilty to the lesser and included offence of manslaughter.
After receiving credit for pre-sentence custody, Scott will serve two years and eight months in jail. The Crown had sought a sentence of seven to nine years in prison, with the defence calling for five to six years of jail time.