The young woman who orchestrated the stabbing death of Toronto teen Stefanie Rengel is making a bid to stay at a youth jail instead of being moved to a federal prison.
Melissa Todorovic is seeking an order that would allow her to stay at the Roy McMurtry Youth Centre in Brampton, Ont. where documents show a walking club and a cooking program are among her activities.
It's been almost three years since Todorovic convinced her then-boyfriend David Bagshaw to lure the 14-year-old Rengel out of her east-end home, where he then stabbed her six times and left her to die in a snowbank.
Bagshaw, then 17, and Todorovic, then 15, were convicted as adults for first-degree murder. Both received life sentences.
Todorovic, who is appealing her conviction and sentence, is due to turn 20 next month. With that milestone comes the possibility that she could be transferred to a federal penitentiary in Kitchener, Ont.
Documents filed at a Toronto courthouse show Todorovic and her lawyer are seeking an order that would allow her to remain at the youth centre, where she's been lauded for her participation in several volunteer programs including a walking club and music class.
In a statement, her lawyer Brian Snell said Todorovic should be allowed to stay at the centre so she can continue her rehabilitation without interruption.
"It is respectfully submitted that it would be in her best interests to remain where she is pending the determination of the appeal," he wrote.
Since her 2009 conviction, Todorovic has graduated from high school with straight A's and is working towards finishing a science course.
Staff reports from Roy McMurtry Youth Centre describe Todorovic as a busy inmate who maintains a "platinum level" in programs at the centre.
The reports contrast against Ontario Justice Ian Nordheimer's description of Todorovic as a "puppet master" who jealously ordered the death of Rengel, a perceived romantic rival.
The motion is due to be heard on Thursday morning.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Michelle Dube
