A Surrey man has pleaded guilty to stabbing a 35-year-old man to death in an apartment they shared with the victim’s mother in 2012.
William Engebretsen, 56, was initially charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Jeremy McLellan.
However, on Wednesday (May 27) in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster, Engebretsen pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Police were called to an apartment near 128 Street and 95 Avenue at about 5:45 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2012 and found McLellan suffering from stab wounds. He died later in hospital.
Engebretsen, who has no prior criminal record, was arrested at the scene. Police said he lived at the apartment with McLellan and McLellan’s mother.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 26. Sentences for manslaughter can range anywhere from parole to life in prison, though most fall within the four- to ten-year range.
