A man from Burton, Jared Smith, has changed his plea from second-degree murder to manslaughter in the case involving the death of Sheri Lynn Sabattis, a 54-year-old woman from the Oromocto First Nation community. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) disclosed this development on Thursday.
Sabattis, a member of the Wolastoqey community, was discovered deceased in a residence within the Wolastoqey community on April 27, 2024. Jared Smith was promptly apprehended by the RCMP on the same day as the discovery.
While the RCMP did not elaborate on the reason behind the revised charge against Smith, it was revealed that he admitted to the manslaughter charge during a virtual court appearance in Burton. Smith will remain in custody until his next court hearing scheduled for November 9.
Previously, a trial for the second-degree murder charge was slated to commence next month, but with Smith’s guilty plea to manslaughter, the legal proceedings have taken a different course.