Penny Boudreau killed Karissa in 2008 then went on TV crying and pleading for her ‘missing’ child’s safe return before confessing to undercover cops posing as gangsters
A Canadian mother who strangled her 12-year-old daughter with twine as the terrified child screamed “Mommy, don’t” has been granted a 60-day unescorted leave from prison – sparking outrage from those who remember her heinous crime.
Penny Boudreau, 51, killed her daughter Karissa on January 27, 2008, in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, then callously reported her missing and went on television crying crocodile tears while pleading for the youngster’s safe return.
The cold-blooded killer maintained her charade for 13 days before Karissa’s body was discovered on the LaHave riverbank – less than five minutes from Boudreau’s apartment.
TV tears and fake pleas
In a chilling display of deception, Boudreau appeared on news broadcasts with swollen eyes, telling reporters: “I’m trying not to think the worst. It’s plain and simple hell. Not knowing where your kids are is horrible.”
A later study by Dalhousie University researchers who analyzed her press conference found “cues to suggest that she was not genuine” – but at the time, her tearful performance convinced many.
The manipulative mother claimed Karissa had vanished from her car after she’d left it unattended following an argument at a grocery store parking lot.
Boyfriend blamed for ultimatum
Police initially focused their investigation on Boudreau’s contentious boyfriend Vernon Macumber, who Karissa reportedly didn’t like, after neighbors reported yelling and fighting in their apartment.
Boudreau later claimed Macumber had given her an ultimatum: “Either your daughter goes or I go.
However, Macumber has vehemently denied this, stating: “I asked them, ‘You have to do something about this,’ because this is not a productive family when they’re arguing and fighting.”
Elaborate police sting exposed the truth
Months after the murder, with no breakthrough in sight, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police launched an elaborate undercover operation known as a “Mr. Big” sting – a controversial technique that’s banned in both the United States and United Kingdom.
Over four months, undercover officers posing as members of a criminal organization slowly befriended Boudreau, paying her for small tasks like counting cash and making deliveries related to their fictitious criminal activities.
Eventually, she was introduced to “Mr. Big” – actually a skilled police interrogator – who told her the gang had learned police were closing in on her and they could help, but only if she told them exactly what happened.
The horrifying confession
Faced with the promise of protection from the fake crime boss, Boudreau finally revealed the sickening truth about her daughter’s final moments.
She admitted she had driven Karissa to a deserted spot along the LaHave River on that January night, tackled her to the ground, knelt on her chest and strangled her with twine.
“I could feel the girl’s hands digging into the ground as she struggled,” Boudreau later confessed in court.
Karissa’s last words were a desperate plea: “Mommy, don’t.
Staged to look like sexual assault
In a final act of depravity, Boudreau pulled down her daughter’s jeans and underwear to give the impression she had been sexually assaulted, then rolled the body down an embankment.
She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in January 2009 and received a life sentence with no possibility of parole for 20 years.
Church visits and grocery shopping
Now, after 17 years behind bars, the Parole Board of Canada has granted Boudreau a 60-day unescorted temporary absence – though they denied her request for the less restrictive day parole.
During a hearing at the Nova Institution for Women in Truro on Wednesday, the board heard Boudreau works as a cleaner for her prison unit and is in charge of ordering groceries for the women who live with her.
She has been granted escorted temporary absences since 2018 to attend church and Bible studies, with the board noting that “involvement with the chaplaincy service has been your primary social outlet.”
Self-assessment reveals more work needed
When asked to rate her rehabilitation progress on a scale of 1 to 10, Boudreau admitted she considered herself only a “6 or 7.”
That means there’s still work to be done,” a board member told the hearing. “The board thinks you’re very conscious of the work that needs to be done on relationships, managing emotions and dealing with obstacles that can be highly stressful.”
Boudreau, who spoke barely above a whisper throughout the hearing, broke down in tears multiple times and struggled to answer questions about how she would cope in certain situations.
Mental health issues and family abandonment
The board heard Boudreau has been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and borderline personality traits. She told officials her mother committed suicide when she was young and she always felt awkward in social situations.
“All but abandoned by family and community, involvement with the chaplaincy service has been your primary social outlet,” the parole board noted.
As conditions of her release, she must report any relationships with men and disclose if they have parental responsibility for children under 16. She must also stay away from Karissa’s family members and continue mental health treatment.
Victim’s father speaks of endless turmoil
Karissa’s father, Paul Boudreau, addressed the hearing with a heartbreaking victim impact statement, saying his daughter’s death had left “a huge void” in his life.
“Am I a failure as a father? Should I have seen this coming?” he asked. “This turmoil has lowered my self-worth to a very low point… Life will never be the same for many of us.”
Public backlash over early release
The decision to grant any form of release has sparked fury from those who remember the case, including Karissa’s childhood friend Courtney Sarty, now 29 and a mother herself.
I think she should serve what she was sentenced to,” Sarty told The National Post, echoing the sentiments of many in the small Nova Scotia community still haunted by the murder.
One board member acknowledged the ongoing impact, stating: “The impact of your crime cannot be overstated. This impact remains very much alive… And the board remains very mindful of the protection of society.”
Boyfriend left heartbroken
Vernon Macumber later revealed the devastating impact of Karissa’s death, saying she “made him laugh” and that losing her left him heartbroken.
He struggled to find employment due to his connection to the case and began drinking heavily as a result of the trauma.
Timeline of evil:
- January 27, 2008 – Boudreau strangles Karissa with twine after argument
- Same evening – Reports daughter missing, claims she ran away
- February 9, 2008 – Karissa’s body found on LaHave riverbank
- June 2008 – Boudreau confesses during Mr. Big sting operation
- January 2009 – Pleads guilty to second-degree murder, sentenced to life
- 2018 – First escorted passes granted for church attendance
- June 18, 2025 – Granted 60-day unescorted absence but denied day parole
