07/07/2026
Penny Boudreau, the Nova Scotia woman convicted of killing her 12-year-old daughter Karissa in 2008, has been granted another six months of day parole by the Parole Board of Canada.
Boudreau strangled Karissa and initially told police the girl had run away after an argument outside a grocery store in Bridgewater. Karissa’s body was found two weeks later along the LaHave River.
Boudreau later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a life sentence with no chance of parole for 20 years. Court heard she wanted her daughter “out of the way” because she believed Karissa was interfering with a relationship with a boyfriend.
The latest extension was approved June 18. The board said her previous temporary absences from prison have been without incident, but noted she still struggles with interpersonal problem-solving, poor decision-making, insecurity, and fear of abandonment.
Boudreau is currently living at a community-based residential facility while on day parole. One of her conditions requires her to report any relationships with men to her parole supervisor. According to the board, she has not had another relationship since the boyfriend involved at the time of the murder.
