At the Quinte Consolidated Courthouse on Thursday afternoon, several suspects in the murder investigation of Kiean Stoddard plead guilty to various charges.
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Seventeen-year-old Kiean Stoddard died in a room at the Park Motel on Dundas Street West in January of 2024.
Following the death, 22-year-old Morgan Belyea, 27-year-old Steven Courneyea both of Belleville, 43-year-old Harold Russell, 28-year-old Aaron Ryan and 29-year-old Khadijah Courneyea, all from Quinte West were charged with:
- First degree murder.
Belyea, Russell and Steven Courneyea were also charged with:
- Conspiracy to Commit Murder
- Robbery with Weapon
Ryan and K. Courneyea were also charged with:
- Conspiracy to Commit Murder
- Robbery with Weapon
- Obstruct Peace Officer
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On Thursday afternoon, M. Belyea plead guilty to:
- Accessory to a robbery
She was sentenced to six months pre-trial custody, a 14.5 months (five months house arrest) conditional sentence, along with counselling, a DNA order, weapons prohibition, and two years probation.
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K. Courneyea plead guilty to:
- Obstructing justice
She was sentenced to 124 days pre-trial custody, along with counselling, weapons prohibition, and two years probation
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Russell and S. Courneyea plead guilty to:
- Manslaughter
S. Courneyea also plead guilty to charges of
- breaking and enter a dwelling
- break and enter a non-dwelling
- possession of property over $5,000 (related to investigations in Stirling-Rawdon from August of 2023 – different investigation)
S. Courneyea was sentenced to a 7.5-year prison sentence (less 1.5 years for time served), (6.5 years for manslaughter, one year for other charges) (six years remain from today), a lifetime weapons ban, DNA submission, and a do not contact order (name listed in court).
Russell was sentenced to a six-year sentence (less 1.5 years for time served) (4.5 years remain from today), a lifetime weapons ban, DNA submission, and a do not contact order (name listed in court).
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Additional charges the four were facing were withdrawn by Justice Elaine Deluzio.
The charge of first degree murder against 28-year-old Aaron Ryan is still before the courts, with a preliminary hearing to come.
None of Ryan’s charges have been proven in court.
