A Tilbury man charged with murdering an acquaintance from the same town has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
Darin Noland, 61, was originally charged with first degree murder, but pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder at Chatham Superior Court on Tuesday, court officials said, after weeks of negotiations with the prosecution.
Noland will have a sentencing hearing November 8, 2024.
An accessory after the fact is defined under Canada's Criminal Code as a person who knowingly assists someone who has committed a crime, in order to help them escape arrest, prosecution or conviction.
In the context of murder, an accessory after the fact may provide assistance to the murderer in disposing of evidence, hiding the body or avoiding law enforcement.
The penalty for being an accessory after the fact to murder is a sentence of life imprisonment.
The body of 55-year-old Henry Neudorf of Tilbury was discovered at the side of Townline Road, north of Maple Line in Dover Township in January 2024.
David Trealout, 34, and Kimberly Price, 52, both from Tilbury, were also charged with first degree murder.
Trealout is going to be assessed at the South West Centre for Forensic Mental Health in St. Thomas to determine if he could be held criminally responsible for Neudorf's death.
Price's case is still going through the court system.
Chatham-Kent police previously said all parties were known to each other.
A publication ban prevents more information from being published.