Medicine Hat woman's murder case to return to Kings Bench Court in Lethbridge in January (CHAT NEWS TODAY image)

By Brian Konrad

Accused pleaded guilty to second degree murder

Sentencing hearing for Medicine Hat woman adjourned to January 31.

Nov 28, 2022 | 11:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB. — A Medicine Hat woman who pleaded guilty to killing her friend a year ago, will return to Kings Bench court in Lethbridge in late January.

A Gladue report for Melissa Lynn Martens-Lagasse has been completed, and her case was remanded to January 31st for sentencing arguments.

She was originally charged with first degree murder in the death of Megan Eekma, but pleaded guilty to second degree murder this past September.

In an agreed statement of facts, Martens-Lagasse said she put a rope around the neck of her friend as she was sleeping in the back seat of a car at a gas station in Fort MacLeod.

She then drove to an area 27 kilometers southeast of Pincher Creek where she dumped Eekma’s body and the rope used to strangle her friend.

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Martens-Lagasse then drove to Medicine Hat.

Eekma’s body was found by travellers on November 19, 2021.

Martens-Lagasse was arrested by Medicine Hat City Police four days later and charged with first degree murder .