A third person has been charged in the death of Rose Kerwin.
The 50-year-old was found dead in the Mississippi River near the Village of Pakenham on November 12, 2023 and five weeks later on December 19, two people – 56-year-old Marcel Lapensee of Carleton Place and 23-year-old Samantha Osborne from Iroquois – were charged with First Degree Murder.
Both Lapensee and Osborne were also charged with sexual assault, uttering threats causing bodily harm, and forcible confinement in relation to a second victim, which was reported to Lanark County OPP on November 15, 2023.
The OPP arrested a third individual, 65-year-old Wayne Gerald Smith of Ottawa Wednesday, April 2 and charged him with Being an Accessory After the Fact to Murder.
Police continue to search for Kerwin’s vehicle, which is described as a blue 2013 Mazda GX four-door sedan with Ontario licence plate CSXW383. Multiple public appeals have been made to locate the car.
OPP East Region Criminal Operations is continuing to investigate, under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), with assistance from OPP Forensic Identification Services, in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the dedicated tip line at 1-844-677-9400 or the OPP non-emergency number at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Story by Grant Deme