The small community of Pakenham, Ontario, Canada, has become the focal point of a disturbing case involving the death of 50-year-old Rose Kerwin.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) investigators have been unwinding a complex web of events following the discovery of Kerwin’s body in the Mississippi River near Pakenham on November 12, 2023.
Marcel Lapensee, 56, from Carleton Place, Ontario, and Samantha Osborne, 23, from Iroquois, Ontario, have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Kerwin’s death.
The case took a complex turn when it was linked to an unrelated sexual assault reported in Carleton Place on November 15, 2023, leading to additional charges against the suspects.
Court documents indicate that Kerwin may have been murdered around November 8, 2023, several days before her body was found. This finding has raised questions about her last known movements and the events leading to her death.
Kerwin, who had been reported missing a day after her body was discovered, was positively identified on November 17, 2023. She was last seen alive in Carleton Place, where she had been residing at a motel in the weeks preceding her disappearance.
During the investigation, the OPP uncovered that Lapensee and Osborne were allegedly using aliases on social media dating sites, specifically Maxx Power and Sammi. This discovery has prompted the police to express concerns about the possibility of additional victims and has led to an appeal to the public for information.
The search for Kerwin’s vehicle, a blue 2013 Mazda GX four-door sedan with the Ontario license plate CSXW383, continues. Authorities believe the vehicle could provide crucial clues in piecing together the events surrounding her death.
Detective Inspector Jennifer Patton from the OPP is calling for anyone who may have interacted with Lapensee and Osborne or their online aliases to come forward. This plea extends to anyone who might have information about the whereabouts of Kerwin’s missing vehicle.
Bail hearings for the accused were pushed back to January 24 and 26, 2024, as the police continued their extensive investigation into the murder and sexual assault.
