REGINA — A man has pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of two women who disappeared three years ago.
Clayton Eichler's trial was to begin Monday on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of Kelly Goforth and Richelle Bear.
Goforth's body was discovered in a Regina back alley three years ago. Bear's body has never been found.
The Crown and defence made a joint submission that Eichler serve 20 years concurrently of his automatic life sentence before being eligible for parole.
Two indigenous groups issued a news release in advance of the trial supporting the women's families.
The File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council and the Regina Treaty-Status Indian Services office said the women, both in their early 20s, were valued daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces, granddaughters, cousins and friends.
Goforth was also the mother of a young son.
"There will be aspects of Kelly and Richelle's lifestyles that will be exposed to the public," the release said. "It is the responsibility of all of us as citizens to understand the realities and the vulnerabilities of our indigenous women are due to the immense poverty that is often faced by our indigenous people in the cities.
"As such, indigenous women are forced to put themselves at greater risk for harm."
The release said women should never expect "that any lifestyle choice should make them a target for predators to hurt them or end their lives."
