Melissa Todorovic

Case overview

Melissa Todorovic was convicted of first-degree murder for orchestrating the stabbing death of Stefanie Rengel. The court treated Todorovic’s conviction and adult life sentence as carrying no chance of parole for seven years.

Status and sentencing outcome

On July 28, 2009, Justice Ian Nordheimer sentenced Melissa Todorovic as an adult to life in prison with no chance of parole for seven years.

Timeline

• July 28, 2009 — Melissa Todorovic was sentenced as an adult to life in prison with no chance of parole for seven years.
• Oct 19, 2009 — Melissa Todorovic filed an appeal of her first-degree murder conviction and sentence.
• Aug 26, 2009 — Melissa Todorovic signed the appeal documents.
• Oct 15, 2009 — Melissa Todorovic’s appeal documents were filed at the Ontario Court of Appeal.
• December 22, 2011 — Ontario Superior Court Judge Ian Nordheimer dismissed an application to extend Todorovic’s stay at the Roy McMurtry Youth Centre in Brampton, Ont.
• Jan. 1, 2008 — Stefanie Rengel was murdered.

The offence

Stefanie Rengel was lured from the front door of her family’s east-end Toronto home. Her then boyfriend, David Bagshaw, got her a short distance from the house and then stabbed her six times, leaving her dying in the snow.

The court heard that Todorovic mistakenly viewed Stefanie Rengel as her romantic rival. It heard that Todorovic had engaged in a campaign over many months to cause the death of a 14-year-old girl she had never met, and that she applied “relentless pressure” on Bagshaw using instant messages, text messages, and Facebook messages, threatening to withhold sex from him if he did not kill Rengel.

In the courtroom account described at sentencing, Bagshaw reported in to Todorovic after the stabbing and Todorovic called Rengel’s cell to make sure Bagshaw was telling the truth. Todorovic demanded that Bagshaw re-enact the slaying and then rewarded him with sex.

Investigation and arrest

On New Year’s Day 2008, after Stefanie Rengel was stabbed and left to die in a snowbank, police investigations connected both David Bagshaw and Melissa Todorovic to the offence through their communications and after Bagshaw reported in to Todorovic.

Toronto police arrested two teenagers on Wednesday in connection with the city’s first homicide of 2008 after a 14-year-old girl was stabbed to death. Police stated that a 17-year-old male and a 15-year-old female were arrested Wednesday morning and were to appear in court on charges of first-degree murder. The victim was found just after 6 p.m. Tuesday in the area of O’Connor Drive and St. Clair Avenue East and was pronounced dead at Toronto East General Hospital.

During the early investigation, when Todorovic was being interviewed by homicide detectives, she admitted to Ryan that she had asked David to kill Stefanie. Police stopped the interview and arrested Todorovic. The police re-interviewed Todorovic later that morning on a charge of first-degree murder.

Trial

Todorovic’s identity was protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, so she could only be referred to by initials during trial.

A jury found Melissa Todorovic guilty of first-degree murder after deliberating for 20 hours over three days.

Evidence described at trial

The Crown relied on communications between Melissa Todorovic and David Bagshaw, including two police interviews with Todorovic and a large body of e-mails, MSN chats, and cellphone records described as 30,000 pages of instant messaging transcripts entered into evidence.

Sentencing

Justice Ian Nordheimer sentenced Todorovic as an adult.

Nordheimer ruled that Todorovic would not be eligible to apply for parole for seven years. Nordheimer also described Todorovic as having a frightening character flaw and said a youth sentence would fail to adequately protect the community. Nordheimer rejected the argument advanced by defence lawyer Marshall Sack that a youth sentence was appropriate because Todorovic had not actually done the stabbing.

Nordheimer said:

“the puppetmaster is not less blameworthy than the puppet.”
“Indeed, I would suggest that the master is more culpable since he or she puts the wheels in motion and then stands back under a façade of disassociation while the scheme that they have created unfolds.”

Nordheimer also stated:

“She was driven by vile and obsessive jealousy.” “engaged in an unrelenting campaign over many months to cause the death of a 14-year-old girl that she had never met,”
and that she placed “relentless pressure” on Bagshaw through instant messages, text messages and Facebook messages.

Before sentencing, Todorovic was interviewed by two psychiatrists. Phil Klassen, a forensic psychiatrist and deputy clinical director at the Centre for Addition and Mental Health, diagnosed Todorovic as exhibiting some symptoms of borderline personality disorder. The proceedings described a “striking lack of empathy” and “remorselessness.”

Victim count

The record described the murder of one victim, Stefanie Rengel, a 14-year-old girl.

Appeals

Melissa Todorovic filed for an appeal of her first-degree murder conviction and sentence. She appealed on grounds that her sentence was “unreasonable and excessive,” the verdict was unreasonable, and that it was “based on an error of law.” She also claimed that Ontario Justice Ian Nordheimer erred in admitting certain evidence and in passing an adult sentence.

Todorovic signed the appeal documents on Aug. 26 and they were filed Oct. 15 at the Ontario Court of Appeal.

Aftermath

After sentencing, Todorovic’s application to extend her stay at the Roy McMurtry Youth Centre in Brampton, Ont., was dismissed by Ontario Superior Court Judge Ian Nordheimer.

The prosecutor Robin Flumerfelt argued that Todorovic had an outward appearance and conduct bearing a striking resemblance to the person who orchestrated Stefanie Rengel’s murder. Flumerfelt argued that but for refusing “meaningful treatment” while in prison, Todorovic may otherwise now appear to be a model inmate. Flumerfelt also said:

“She is the person she was then…. What we’re left with is an untreated Melissa Todorovic whose outward appearance and conduct bears a striking resemblance to the person who orchestrated Stefanie Rengel’s murder.”

The only witness to testify, Vanessa Thibodeau, was described as Todorovic’s prime worker at the youth facility. Thibodeau described her role as “overseeing her [Ms. Todorovic’s] care” and when asked what she knew of the charge, replied:

“there’s a girl dead as a result.”

Judge Nordheimer dismissed the application, and Todorovic was led from the room.