A former Bridgewater woman who murdered her young daughter has been granted supervised releases from prison to attend church.
Penny Boudreau was charged with second degree murder in the death of her 12-year-old daughter Karissa.
Boudreau has served nearly 10 years of her life sentence and is eligible parole after the 20 year mark.
She will be allowed four escorted absences, each four hours long, from the Nova Institution for Women in Truro over the course of a year to attend church.
In their decision, the parole board noted it would be “desirable” for Boudreau to attend church for personal development and rehabilitative purposes.
According to the parole board Boudreau requested escorted leave for church because she felt the need to be in a “real” setting as opposed to the sheltered environment of institutional life and wants to develop supports as she hopes to eventually be released in the community.
The board’s decision also states that local police do not object to the escorted absences.
Boudreau strangled her daughter January 27, 2008 with a piece of twine and attempted to make it appear as though Karissa had been sexually assaulted before leaving her in a wooded area along the Lahave River.
She first claimed her daughter had run away in a snowstorm after a fight, soliciting help from the public and making national headlines.
Eventually she admitted to an undercover police officer that she had killed her.
Boudreau said her then boyfriend told her to choose between him or her daughter.
According to the parole board’s statement, Boudreau is no longer in contact with the man.
A psychological assessment found that she falls within a “very low range to reoffend.”
And the board found her institutional behaviour has been unproblematic for a “considerable period of time.”
Boudreau was originally charged with first degree murder but pleaded guilty to second degree murder.
Story by Brittany Wentzell
Twitter: @BrittWentzell
