Alta. man pleads guilty to 1st-degree murder in deaths of woman, toddler
Warning: This story contains disturbing details.
The Alberta man accused of first-degree murder in the 2021 deaths of a 24-year-old woman and her 16-month-old son has pleaded guilty to both charges.
Robert Keith Major appeared virtually at provincial court in Hinton, more than 250 kilometres west of Edmonton, Monday morning.
Major was arrested and charged shortly after the bodies of Mchale Busch and her son Noah were found in Hinton, Alta., last September.
After Major pleaded guilty to the two murder charges, Justice Marta Burns allowed anyone in the courtroom who did not want to hear the details of the agreed statement of facts to leave.
According to the statement, on Sept. 16, 2021, Major killed Busch by strangling her. He also sexually assaulted her before and after her death. Major then mutilated her body, removing several of her organs, the document says.
It also states Major killed 16-month-old Noah by suffocating him to stop his crying.
The courtroom also heard a police interview with Major, in which he claimed to have seen Busch leave the parking lot of their apartment complex with Noah, and saw footage of Major putting a garbage bag with the boy's body inside a dumpster.
A spokesperson told reporters the family was very grateful for the guilty pleas.
"When this all happened we had been told if we had to go to trial, it'd be three to four years of trial and even a guilty plea could take two years, so we're grateful that it is moving a little faster and that's what we wanted, was a guilty plea," Verna Sand said, standing outside of the courthouse after the proceeding.
NEIGHBOUR WAS A CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER
In 2017, police in Edmonton warned the community that Major, a convicted sex offender, was being released and was at risk of offending again.
At the time of Busch's and Noah's deaths, Major was placed under several court-ordered conditions, including a curfew and a ban from being around children.
Investigators say Major lived in the same apartment complex as Busch, her partner Cody McConnell, and their child.
They had moved to Hinton because McConnell had found work there.
"She was a very bright, strong girl. He was a beautiful boy. They were innocent victims. Cody's an innocent victim. All he did was try to do best by his family every day. He brought them here to work to provide for them, and he provided a wonderful life for them," Sand said.
It is not known when Major moved to Hinton, or if the community there was notified.
In a statement, RCMP said Major had not been subject to any recognizance conditions since July of 2020. However, friends and family feel "failed" by the justice system.
"We need to be able to be protected from people who are like this. He had a history," Sand said.
"He never should have been living in an apartment building next to schools and parks and families."
The family is petitioning legislative changes to how information about sex offenders is shared with law enforcement and landlords in a private bill they call "Noah's Law." They have begun collecting names to present to the House of Commons.
Major was also charged with two counts of interfering with human remains. Those charges are to be dealt with at a later date.
Sentencing is scheduled for November and is expected to take three days to allow for victim impact statements.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.