Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
In a hearing Wednesday morning, a Parole Board of Canada panel granted Melissa Todorovic, now in her early 30s, four 15-day unescorted absences to a halfway house.
During the hearing, Todorovic argued longer absences would help her better prepare for day parole and her eventual reintegration in the community.
She said the 72-hour unescorted absences she completed in the past were too short, leaving her ill-equipped and "overwhelmed" on day parole, which was then revoked after a few months.
Todorovic was convicted of first-degree murder in 2009 for ordering her then-boyfriend, David Bagshaw, to kill 14-year-old Stefanie Rengel. Both of them were sentenced to life in prison, but Todorovic was able to apply for parole after seven years.
Todorovic, who was 15 at the time, grew jealous of Rengel because the girl had briefly dated Bagshaw years earlier. She repeatedly threatened to end her relationship with Bagshaw or withhold sex unless he killed Rengel.
Bagshaw eventually stabbed Rengel multiple times on New Year's Day 2008 in Toronto.
In 2018, Todorovic was granted six months of day parole, but she was brought back to prison early after the parole board found she was involved in a secret love triangle.
The board found she had breached a condition of her release that required her to disclose any new relationships. The condition was imposed because unhealthy relationships played a central role in the murder.
Her day parole was eventually revoked and Todorovic's appeal of the ruling was dismissed.
The same condition -- that Todorovic report any relationships or friendships to her supervision team -- was among those imposed Wednesday for the unescorted temporary absences.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police clear pro-Palestinian protesters from Columbia University while clashes break out at UCLA
The pro-Palestinian demonstration that paralyzed Columbia University ended in dramatic fashion, with police carrying riot shields bursting into a building that protesters took over the previous night and making dozens of arrests. On the other side of the country, clashes broke out early Wednesday between duelling groups at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Will an 'out of sight, out of mind' cellphone policy make a difference in Ontario schools?
Ontario’s cellphone ban in schools has been met with mixed reaction, with some teachers concerned about constant policing of kids and experts applauding the change as necessary for student learning.
National strategy must recognize caregivers as 'backbone' of society: centre
Canadians need help looking after family members who are aging, sick or have disabilities, and many caregivers are seniors who need help themselves, says a new report calling for a national strategy that recognizes the mental and financial toll of the job.
WATCH Arnold Schwarzenegger spotted filming in Elora, Ont.
The name of the project has not been officially released although it’s widely believed to be the Netflix series FUBAR.
Lawyers for alleged Winnipeg serial killer point to opinion poll in bid to get jury tossed
The lawyers of an alleged serial killer in Winnipeg are questioning whether pre-trial publicity in the high-profile case may have influenced the jury’s decision-making ability, after a public poll commissioned by the defence found 81 per cent of respondents believe the accused is guilty.
Ontario woman surprised after 20-year-old fines suddenly tank credit score
An Ontario woman says that she was shocked when provincial fines from 20 years ago suddenly tanked her credit score last week, but the situation may not be as unusual as it seems, according to at least debt expert.
Poilievre kicked out of Commons after calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko'
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
WATCH Moose strolls through Fredericton
A Fredericton woman is awe-struck after seeing a moose stroll down a city street on Tuesday.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.