Woman gets 15 years for role in ex-husband's death, but will spend 1 day in jail due to time served

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 17, 2025 2:42 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

A Ontario justice has sentenced a pistillate to 15 years successful situation aft she pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter successful the decease of her ex-husband, but she volition walk lone 1 time down bars owed to recognition for clip served.

Superior Court Justice Jennifer Woollcombe sentenced Melissa Merritt successful a Brampton courtroom connected Monday successful the decease of Caleb Harrison. 

Harrison, the begetter of her 2 eldest children, was recovered dormant successful his furniture successful Mississauga, Ont. connected Aug. 23, 2013, the aforesaid time that his shared custody statement with Merritt over custody of their 2 children was acceptable to end, tribunal heard previously.

Earlier this month, Merritt had pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter for her relation successful his decease conscionable earlier she was astir to spell connected proceedings for execution a 3rd time. 

When Merritt was sentenced, she was retired of bail aft being successful situation for 10 years owed to previous trials. 

In January 2014, she was arrested and charged, on with her hubby astatine the time, Christopher Fattore, successful the murders of 3 people, Bill Harrison, Bridget Harrison and Caleb Harrison, whose deaths occurred on April 16, 2019, April 21, 2010 and Aug. 23, 2013, respectively. Bill and Bridget were the grandparents of the children. Caleb was her erstwhile spouse.

Merritt was discharged of the complaint involving Bill's decease aft a preliminary inquiry. She was aboriginal recovered not blameworthy of sidesplitting her erstwhile mother-in-law past year. She was recovered blameworthy of the execution of Caleb successful 2018, but appealed the condemnation and a caller proceedings was granted. She was tried and that proceedings resulted successful a mistrial. She was to beryllium tried for a 3rd clip and was released connected bail.

Before that proceedings began, she pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter successful his death.