Fredericton man pleads guilty in death of man found slain in city park
Zachary David Murphy was about to go on trial for the murder of Clark Ernest Greene
A Fredericton man pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon to second-degree murder in the death of 31-year-old Clark Ernest Greene, whose body was found in a city park in the spring of 2020.
It was supposed to be the first day of a jury trial for 21-year-old Zachary David Murphy, who had been charged with first-degree murder.
But on Tuesday morning, Murphy elected to be tried by a judge without a jury and pleaded guilty later in the day to second-degree murder.
Murphy was charged after Greene's body was found in Wilmot Park in the early morning hours of April 15, 2020.
Ten members of Greene's family came to court Tuesday but did not want to speak to the news media.
Justice Thomas Christie agreed to a publication ban on the details of the murder out of concern for the fairness of a jury trial coming up in January for Angela April Walsh, who was also charged in the homicide.
The Crown is gathering victim impact statements for Murphy's sentencing hearing, which was set for March 22.