Woman pleads guilty to 2nd-degree murder in death of Saint John man last summer
Jinelle Thompson, 45, was originally charged with 1st-degree murder after body of Allan Lee, 52, discovered
A Saint John woman charged with first-degree murder in connection with the discovery of a man's body in a wooded area on the western outskirts of the city last summer has pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder.
Jinelle Suzanne Thompson, 45, admitted to killing Allan Christopher Lee, 52, of Saint John between July 31 and Aug. 1, 2024.
His remains were discovered on Aug. 1, shortly after 7 p.m., off King William Road near Lorneville, on the same side of the road as the wind turbines.
Thompson entered her change of plea in Saint John Court of King's Bench on May 15. There is a publication ban on other details related to her appearance.
Her co-accused — Charles Pleasance, 56, and Stephen Chester Martin, 66 — both still face trial. They are each charged with accessory after the fact to murder, for allegedly knowing Thompson had murdered Lee and assisting her to escape.
Thompson was arrested on Dec. 12, the day after Pleasance was taken into custody. Martin was arrested on Dec. 16.
Sentencing in July
Thompson had been scheduled to face a jury trial Aug. 24 to Sept. 25, 2026, after the Crown proceeded by direct indictment, without holding a preliminary inquiry first to determine if there was enough evidence to proceed to a trial.
Unlike first-degree murder, which is both planned and deliberate, second-degree murder is generally a deliberate killing that occurs without planning.
Both carry a life sentence, but second-degree murder offers parole eligibility after serving 10 years, while there is no possibility of parole for 25 years with a charge of first-degree murder.
Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10. She remains in custody.
Pleasance and Martin, who also remain in custody, made a brief remote appearance in Saint John Court of King's Bench Thursday afternoon over the phone.
Defence lawyers Matthew Oliver and Heather Daigle agreed to Crown prosecutor Elaina Campbell's application to try the accused together to avoid "duplicitous proceedings in a case with voluminous evidence requiring multiple weeks of trial."
Their jury trial will be held Aug. 24 to Sept. 25, 2026, the same dates that had been set aside for Thompson.
Accessory after the fact carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Cause of death not released
Saint John police said they conducted an exhaustive search Aug. 2 of the wooded area where Lee's body was located, using police dogs and aerial drones.
They also canvassed the area, conducted interviews, and asked anyone with information or video to contact them.
Investigators deemed Lee's death a homicide based on an autopsy, but his cause of death has not been released.
Lee was a father of two, according to his obituary. He was not reported missing before his body was discovered, police said.