Victoria woman Kaela Mehl is expected to plead guilty to second-degree murder in a retrial for the murder of her 18-month-old daughter Charlotte Cunningham, who died in September 2015. (Black Press Media file photo)

Victoria woman Kaela Mehl is expected to plead guilty to second-degree murder in a retrial for the murder of her 18-month-old daughter Charlotte Cunningham, who died in September 2015. (Black Press Media file photo)

Guilty plea expected in retrial for Victoria mom accused in toddler’s death

Kaela Mehl successfully appealed her first-degree murder charge last year

The woman accused of killing her 18-month-old daughter intends to plead guilty in her upcoming retrial.

Kaela Mehl was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2015 death of her daughter, Charlotte Cunningham, in October 2017. She was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Mehl appealed the conviction, arguing that trial counsel failed to provide reasonable professional assistance and that one of the jurors was biased. Her appeal stated that throughout the trial one juror made gestures of support or sympathy towards the family of her daughter’s father.

In June 2021, the Court of Appeal ruled in her favour, overruling Mehl’s conviction and ordering a new trial.

Mehl was scheduled to appear in a Victoria courtroom on Monday (Nov. 14) and was expected to enter a guilty plea, but the case was adjourned to a later date. However, her lawyer on Monday said that Mehl still intends to plead guilty to second-degree murder, a spokesperson for the prosecution service told Black Press Media.

The Victoria woman pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charge in her original trial.

ALSO READ: Retrial date set for Victoria woman accused of killing toddler daughter


 

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