Mother accused of killing daughter sent back to jail

By Greg Bennett

The Coast Guard

NovaNewsNow.com

A former Shelburne County woman charged with the murder of her 12-year-old daughter will remain in jail until her next court appearance on June 24.

Penny Boudreau, 34, formerly of Shelburne County, was arrested by police on Friday in Halifax in connection with the murder of her daughter Karissa.

She appeared in Bridgewater Provincial Court on Monday to face first-degree murder charges. She was ordered to have no contact with four Crown witnesses; ex-husband Paul Boudreau and his brother Shane Boudreau, former live-in boyfriend Vernon McCumber and her sister April O’Reilly.

Crown Attorney Paul Scovil said the accused mother would be held in jail until she applies for a bail hearing and a hearing is held.

Bridgewater Police and RCMP made the joint announcement of the arrest during a Saturday press conference.

“From the onset investigators were confident this was an isolated incident,” said RCMP Supt. Blair McKnight. “Major Crime investigators felt that Karissa must have known her killer.”

Karissa was reported missing on Jan. 27. The mother said she and her daughter had argued that day. Penny Boudreau told investigators she went into a grocery store. When she came out, she said, her daughter was gone.

There was an intensive search conducted throughout the Town of Bridgewater which turned up no trace of the young girl.

Boudreau’s frozen body was discovered along the banks of the LaHave River on Feb. 9.

Police announced a few weeks later they were treating the case as a homicide and quickly made two arrests for questioning. After 24 hours in custody without any charges being laid the two unidentified suspects were released.

Despite lingering questions on the murder from the public, investigators believe that there was only one person responsible and do not expect anyone else to be charged in the case.

While offering little information on any evidence investigators had, Bridgewater Police Chief Brent Crowhurst noted that there had been concerns from the public that the case might never be solved.

“We tried to provide as much information as possible, but as you can appreciate we are limited in what can be divulged at times without compromising the integrity of the investigation,” he said.

For months there were few details offered on the progress of the investigation and there was no warning that an arrest was pending.

At Saturday’s press conference investigators described the investigation as a long and complex one and thanked the public for the many tips that were provided in the case.

Karissa’s disappearance, brought thousands of caring Nova Scotians to distribute her photo in hopes that she would be found. The discovery of her body and the news that the death was a homicide was a great shock to many on the South Shore.

On Saturday, several caring Bridgewater residents also took in the press conference and offered prayers for the girl.

“It is a sad thing to see,” said Kendra Beniot, to the gathered throng of reporters. “May she rest in peace.”

Karissa had only recently moved to Bridgewater, having grown up in Shelburne County where she attended elementary schools on Cape Sable Island and in Shelburne. Tributes to her life can be found in several local schools and libraries.