Stephen Brun · CBC News
Two individuals from southeastern Prince Edward Island have pleaded guilty to charges linked to the disappearance and death of 27-year-old Summer Kneebone. The pair, Donald Roy Holmes and Samantha Jemima Parlee-Buell, faced charges of interfering with human remains and misleading police following Kneebone’s tragic death in August 2023.
In a courtroom filled with Kneebone’s family and friends, Holmes and Parlee-Buell admitted to the charges on Thursday. They were initially arrested on September 2023, over a month after Kneebone was last seen alive on August 7, 2023, in Charlottetown.
The pair was arrested in New Glasgow, N.S., and charged under Section 182(b) of the Criminal Code of Canada, which pertains to the interference with a dead body or human remains. Along with the interference charge, they each face a count of misleading police during the investigation.
Holmes and Parlee-Buell are set to remain in custody until their sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for November 7 at 11 a.m. in Georgetown, P.E.I.
Kneebone’s family, in a statement after the court appearance, remembered her as a kind and loving person who would do anything for others. The family declined an interview but emphasized their deep loss.
Following Kneebone’s disappearance, the Charlottetown police made a public appeal for surveillance footage from businesses and homeowners on August 7. A widespread search and public efforts, including social media posts and a notification through the Aboriginal Alert page, were made to locate Kneebone.
At Thursday’s hearing, Crown Attorney Christopher White presented an agreed statement of facts outlining the events surrounding Kneebone’s disappearance. Both the prosecution and defense signed off on this document, which provided further details of the case.
The investigation remains ongoing, and both Holmes and Parlee-Buell will return to court for sentencing in early November.
