The woman behind a 2020 Vernon, B.C., motel killing has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge than what she originally faced, and a sentencing date is expected to be set later this year.
Paige Courtney Howse was charged with the second-degree murder of Kelowna’s Alishia Lemp, 34, in September 2021.
Her trial was expected to start Oct. 23, 2023, but the BC Prosecution Service said that Howse instead pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter this week and the matter was adjourned to Nov. 28, to fix a date for sentencing.
Lemp was killed at the Best Value Inn and Suites on Feb. 28, 2020.
An obituary for Lemp said she was extroverted and adventurous and loved to travel, especially with her beloved yorkie “Soup.” She wanted to be a missionary and her home base was Kelowna.
According to court records, Howse has had a number of run-ins with the RCMP since November 2020, facing charges ranging from arson to weapons possession before the murder charge was laid.