B.C. man pleads guilty to second-degree murder of Ashley Simpson in 2016

Oct 31, 2023 | 7:21 AM

SALMON ARM, B.C. — A 21-day murder trial that was supposed to begin Monday in British Columbia Supreme Court in Salmon Arm ended almost immediately as Derek Favell entered a guilty plea.

The Shuswap-area resident, who is in his early 40s, was charged with the 2016 slaying of his former girlfriend Ashley Simpson.

She was reported missing in April of 2016 but the body of the 31-year-old was not found until November 2021 during a search of an area outside Salmon Arm.

Favell was charged with second-degree murder a short time later.