BURSTOne of the three youth charged in the 2021 death of a young Penticton man has pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
The youth appeared in Supreme Court in Kelowna the morning of Sept. 4 to enter the guilty plea and is expected back in court Nov. 16.
Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, information that could identify those who were minors at the time of an alleged offence is banned from publication.
The plea is for their involvement in the death of 22-year-old Taig Savage. The young man was found injured and unresponsive around 6 a.m. on Sept 5, 2021 on the track at Penticton Secondary School. Paramedics attended to Savage, but he did not survive his injuries.
The three youth, along with then 18-year-old Issac Hayes Jack, were arrested in April 2024 and charged with manslaughter. The charges were later upgraded to second-degree murder.
The only female youth charged in the matter pleaded not guilty on Apr. 7.
Savage’s mom, Tracey Savage, posted to Facebook ahead of the Sept. 4 court hearing. She claims the family did not receive notice about the court appearance until 2 p.m. the day before.
The post reads, “Over the past month, I contacted political representatives and government agencies, desperately asking someone to listen, explain how this could happen, or intervene where legally possible. We received silence. Some did not respond at all… Today, as Taig’s mother, I am heartbroken and ashamed of what I am witnessing from our Canadian justice system.”
The trial for Jack, who is the only named individual due to being legally an adult at the time, is scheduled for 2027.