Pair charged in Summer Kneebone's death have case adjourned until fall

Two people from southeastern Prince Edward Island scheduled to appear in court Thursday on charges related to the disappearance and death of 27-year-old Summer Kneebone have had their case adjourned until fall.

Donald Roy Holmes and Samantha Jemima Parlee-Buell are both from Pembroke, just north of Murray Harbour.

They were arrested in New Glasgow, N.S., more than a month after Kneebone was last seen alive on Aug. 7, 2023 in Charlottetown. Kneebone's body was found on Sept. 15 on a rural property in Kings County.

At the time, police said the pair was arrested under Section 182(b) of the Criminal Code of Canada on charges of interfering with a dead body or human remains.

This is a still released by Charlottetown police from surveillance video showing Summer Kneebone walking up University Avenue with a companion on Aug. 7, the evening she was last seen. (Submitted by Charlottetown Police Services)

Both Holmes and Parlee-Buell were expected to enter pleas in Georgetown court Thursday and the Crown expected more charges to be laid in the case.

But Crown prosecutor Christopher White asked for the adjournment, saying there were outstanding disclosures that still need to happen. Those include social media messages which the police and the Crown are hoping to obtain, but they need to go through federal officials and the FBI which is expected to take some time.

Both Holmes and Parlee-Buell will remain in custody, and have been ordered not to have any contact with each other.

Provincial Court Judge Nancy Orr reminded both the Crown and defence lawyer that this case will soon be a year old.

The court case has been adjourned until Oct. 17 for a plea.

In the wake of Kneebone being reported missing, Charlottetown police asked homeowners and businesses to preserve any surveillance video they had from the evening of Aug. 7.

Social media posts begged for information on the young woman's whereabouts, including a post submitted to the Aboriginal Alert Facebook page that flags when Indigenous people have gone missing.

One of the many posters placed around the Island after Charlottetown resident Summer Kneebone went missing in August 2023. (Stacey Janzer/CBC)