One of three accused of 2017 murder pleads guilty, sentenced to life in prison

Photo: IHIT

Michael Bonin who was murdered in April of 2017.

One of three men accused of murdering a man and dumping his body on a forest service road off the Coquihalla Highway pleaded guilty in Kelowna court on Monday.

Joshua Fleurant, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the killing of Michael Bonin and was sentenced by Justice Alison Beames to life in prison with no chance of parole for 20 years.

Fleurant had been charged with first-degree murder, but pled down to the lesser offence.

Bonin's body was found on the Peers Creek forestry road on April 20, 2017, with his alleged killers being charged nine months later. He had ties to both Prince George, B.C. and Rycroft, Alberta.

The contents of Monday’s sentencing hearing are covered under a publication ban pending the outcome of the trials of the co-accused; Ryan Watt and Jared Jorgenson. Both will face murder charges separately — Jorgenson’s jury trial starts May 17 while Watt is expected to face trial beginning Jan. 24, 2022.

Fleurant and Watt have remained in custody since their arrest in January 2018, while Jorgenson was released on bail in June 2018.