Traigo Andretti pleaded guilty in Campbell River court Monday to the first degree murder of his wife Jennifer McPherson and interfering with her dead body.
But provincial court Judge J. Parker MacCarthy rejected the guilty plea.
He said the severity of the crime and potential punishment “are ot dealt with by people who are self-represented.”
Andretti was charged with first degree murder in the death of his wife and ‘improperly or indecently interfering with or offering an indignity to a dead human body.’ Andretti, 37, and McPherson, 41, lived on Hanson Island south of Port McNeill where they worked as caretakers at the Hanson Island Fishing Lodge. McPherson went missing May 1 and her remains were found a week later.
During Andretti’s first few appearances in court, one in person and the rest by video link since his arrest in May, he appeared upbeat and lackadaisical, prompting Judge Brian Saunderson to ask him, “You are charged with murder. You understand that don’t you? Work hard at getting a lawyer, you need one badly.”
On July 24, after previously appearing before the court via video link with Victoria lawyer Roxanne Helme of Green and Helme, Helme quit, telling the Campbell River court that she could not defend Andretti. According to Helme, Andretti was giving her conflicting instructions and often changed those instructions drastically.
Following this turn of events, Andretti told the court he did not want a lawyer.
The plan had been that a lawyer from legal aid would be assigned to the case and Andretti would have legal counsel when he was back in court Aug. 12.
Once again he was without counsel and looked sullen.
Crown Counsel David Fitzsimmons agreed with Judge MacCarthy’s rejection of the guilty plea, saying that Andretti was not doing himself any favors.
Judge MacCarthy told Andretti that a legal aid lawyer would be assigned to him, someone who “has experience and can take on the economy of this, it’s expensive.”
Andretti is to appear in person in Campbell River on Aug, 26. If counsel is secured prior to this, the date could be subject to change.
Andretti has also been linked to a woman who has been missing since 2006 in Winnipeg.
