Crown seeks dangerous offender assessment in 'macabre' Creston killing

WARNING: This story contains distressing details.

B.C. Crown prosecutors are seeking a raredangerous offender assessment for a man whokilled and dismembered a woman in Creston, B.C., in 2015.

Nathaniel David Jessup, 35, was convicted of manslaughter and offering an indignity to human remains inB.C. Supreme Court in Kamloops on Friday, following a trial inCranbrooklast summer.

In a written judgment, Justice James Williams described the crime as "macabre, callous and of such a nature that it would shock any sense of decency" but ruled there was not enough evidence to convict Jessup ofsecond-degree murder.

Jessup has a long history of violent crime, including convictions for aggravated assault of a five-year-old boy in Surrey, three counts of assault involving correctional officers, charges of child abductionand an acquittal of second-degree murder charges in thedeath of a prison cellmate.

Victim disappeared, dismembered body found 12 days later

In thetrial by judge alone, the court heard 59-year-old Katherine McAdam had a friendly relationship withJessup, then 28 years old and homeless.

The defendant was often seen visiting the victim'sbasement suite on Cedar Streetin Creston, including the morning of Aug.15, 2015, thelast time McAdamwas seen.

The woman'sremains were located by police 12 days later inside a bike trailer on an acreage in Erickson, an unincorporated community just east of Creston.

Court heard the body was decapitated and dismembered into seven pieceswith a hacksaw.

"It was apparent to me that the experienced police officers who dealt with the remains at the scene found the situation extremely distressing,"Justice Williams wrote of the horrific discovery.

The condition of the body was suchthat the coroner could not determine an exact cause of death.

While ruling Jessop killed and dismembered the victim, Justice Williamscould not conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant intended to murderMcAdam.

"In the result, I find Mr. Jessup guilty of manslaughter in the matter of the death of Katherine McAdambut not guilty of the charge of second-degree murder,"he wrote.

History of crime and violence

According to court records,Jessuphas a long history of violence.

Just weeks after McAdam's disappearance, Jessupwas arrested in theLower Mainland, accused of grabbinga two-year-old girl and an eight-year-old girl in separate incidents near Stanley Park.

Stanley Park abduction suspect arrested

9 years ago

Duration 2:29

Police arrested a suspect following two attempted abductions near Stanley Park

In 2017, he pleaded guilty to one attempted abduction charge, as well as the aggravated assault of a five-year-old boy in Surrey, three counts of assault involving correctional officersand was sentenced to 40 months in prison.

In February 2017, Jessupwascharged with thesecond-degree murder ofDylan Judd, 20, a cellmate at the Kamloops Regional Correction centre. Investigators had ruled the 2014 death a suicide at the time but reopened the case.A judge acquitted Jessup of the charge, rulingthere was not enough evidence to prove Judd did not take his own life.

Priorto 2015, Jessop hadbeen chargedwith assaulting a peace officer, trespassing, breaking and entering,possession of stolen property andpossessionof a firearm, amongother charges.

Seeking dangerous offender status

After this latest manslaughter conviction, the Crown applied for and was granted an assessment to determine whether Jessup is a dangerous offender prior to a sentencing hearing on Jan. 23, 2023.

An expert's report will focus on Jessup's risk to reoffend and his prospects for treatment or control in the community. Crown counsel will review the report and decide whether to proceed with anapplication. If so, the Crown would needto seek the consent of the assistant deputy attorney general, and if consent is granted, the application would proceed to a hearing.

The designation of dangerous offender could result in an indeterminate prison sentence which would periodically be reviewed.

Some 726 designated dangerous offenders are currentlyin custody across Canada, about five per centof the prison population.