EDMONTON - An Edmonton woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to manslaughter in the killing of an eight-year-old girl in a case that exposed in public long-standing tensions between police and Crown prosecutors.

Court of King's Bench Justice Jody Fraser accepted the plea from the 29-year-old, who police said was originally charged with first-degree murder but the Crown said faced a charge of second-degree murder. A date for sentencing is to be set later.

Relatives, who wept during the proceeding, chanted "no justice, no peace," as they filed out of court.

The plea came a day after interim Edmonton police chief Warren Driechel made public a letter from his force to Alberta's justice ministry saying it was aware of a plea deal for manslaughter and the possibility of an eight-year sentence, urgin

See Full Page