Guilty plea by teen who stabbed Stefanie Rengel to death

Why plead I wonder? To First Degree? He's pretty obviously guilty but maybe there is a deal as to how he'll be sentenced? We'll see...


Less than three weeks after a teenage girl was convicted of murder in the death of Stefanie Rengel, a 19-year-old boy has also pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the case.

The teen, who can only be identified as D.B. because he was 17 at the time of the killing, cried and lowered his head as the facts were entered into evidence. He entered the plea just before noon in a Toronto courtroom Thursday.

The 17-year-old girl convicted of first-degree murder in Rengel's death, known only at M.T., is expected to be back in court for a sentencing hearing on April 21.

Superior Court Justice Ian Nordheimer ordered M.T. to undergo an assessment by Dr. Philip Klassen in advance of her sentencing hearing. The judge will also be provided with a pre-sentence report from corrections officials, as well as education records for M.T.

The teenager had a 90 per cent average at school before she was arrested and taken into custody on Jan. 2, 2008, the day after Rengel was stabbed six times, allegedly by D.B., the boyfriend of M.T.

The Crown is seeking for M.T. to be sentenced as an adult.

Since she was under 16 at the time that Rengel was killed, she would receive a life sentence as an adult yet be eligible for parole after serving between five and seven years in prison. M.T. would remain on parole for the rest of her life if she is released from custody.

If sentenced as a youth she would spend up to six years in prison and then four years under a form of house arrest. As a youth, she would not be on parole.