N.S. group apologizes for including woman convicted in a brutal killing on a panel

A Nova Scotia group that supports at-risk women and girls has apologized for including a woman convicted of a brutal killing on a panel discussion they organized. The Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia hosted the event last week, featuring Marissa Shephard, who was sentenced to 12 years in jail in 2021 for manslaughter and arson in the death of 18-year-old Baylee Wylie.

Wylie's body was found in Shephard's burned out townhouse in Moncton, N.B., in December 2015. The group issued a public statement expressing regret for the harm caused by including Shephard on the panel. Shephard was one of three individuals convicted in connection with Wylie's killing, with two others receiving life sentences. The other convicted individuals were Devin Morningstar, found guilty of first-degree murder in 2016, and Tyler Noel, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and arson in May 2017.