The sentencing hearing for a Creston man who was charged with the second-degree murder of his neighbour has been scheduled for early September.
Mitchell McIntyre, 66, admitted to killing 56-year-old Julia Howe, whose body was found on the bathroom floor of her Creston home in February 2022.
At the time, RCMP initially believed Howe had died of natural causes from a fall. But an autopsy conducted two days later revealed a bullet lodged in her head, according to court documents.
According to her obituary, she was a school bus driver who loved interacting with the kids. She was mother to four children and had four grandchildren at the time of her death.
McIntyre and Howe were believed to be acquaintances, with disputes over keeping her dog leashed.
After repeatedly asking to be detained and insisting he was a danger to others, McIntyre was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and spent several stints in Cranbrook's East Kootenay Regional Hospital. It wasn't until six weeks later, with multiple admissions to RCMP and hospital staff in regards to Howe's death, that he was arrested on murder charges. He has remained in custody since.
His trial, held in Kamloops, began in July 2024 and continued in November. It continued again on June 9 of this year with the defence case and several weeks of testimony, followed by McIntyre entering a guilty plea.
In Canada, second degree murder is subject to a mandatory life sentence without eligibility for parole until 25 years have been served.
