Convicted sex offender Jerry Constant charged in Karina Wolfe death

The man accused of murdering Karina Wolfe is a registered sex offender with previous convictions for assault and sexual assault.

Police allege thatJerry Franklin Constant, 33, killed Wolfe in July, 2010 and hid her body in a marshy areanorthwest of the city. He appeared in provincial court this morning and is now charged with second degree murder.

Prosecutor Matthew Miazgasaid that Constant showed up at the city police station on Nov. 10 "very distraught and hearing voices."

Miazga said that Constant gave officers information that led them to the discovery of Wolfe's remains.

Constant agreed this morning to a mental health assessment. He'll be back in court on Dec. 8.

Today was not his first time before a judge.

Prosecutor Matt Miazga speaks to reporters about the Jerry Constant case.

9 years ago

Duration 0:48

Prosecutor Matt Miazga tells reporters why he asked for a mental health assessment for Jerry Constant.

Constant was acquitted of sexual assault in a Court of Queen's Bench trial in February. A woman had claimed he had violentlysexually assaulted her just before Christmas in 2011 behind an auto body shop on 20th Street.

Constant never denied having sex with the complainant. But he maintained that it was consensual.

In his ruling from the bench, Justice Murray Acton said, "I don't believe for one minute that he was assaulting her at 3 a.m. in the morning."

Constant's criminal record was admitted as an exhibit in that trial, along with his admissionthat he's in the national sex offender registry.

The record shows that Constant was convicted of assault causingbodily harm andsexual assault causing bodily harm in 2001, and thenassault causing bodily harm in 2006. He served provincial jail time but has never been to a federal penitentiary.

Police are taking media this morning to the location where they discovered Wolfe's remains.

She was last seen on the city's west side and police were immediately concerned because of her high-risk lifestyle. She was 20 years old, struggling with a crystal meth addiction,and had just moved back home with her family.

Police unearthed her remains on Nov. 14 after getting a tip on Nov. 10. They did not release that information until last week. Police said they used DNA testing to positively confirm the remains were those of Karina Wolfe.

Police are expected to offer more details today about their allegations against Constant. This could include how Constant and Wolfe crossed paths, and how shedied.

CBC Reporter Dan Zakreski will be tweeting from court this morning. Click here if you're on mobile.