Inquest into 2016 death of Orangeville women convicted of murder delayed

Written By Paula Brown

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A coroner's inquest into the 2016 death of Terry Baker, an inmate serving a life sentence for her role in the torture and murder of an Orangeville teen, has been postponed.  

The inquest was expected to start on Tuesday (Apr. 11), but on Apr. 5, the Solicitor General announced that after hearing submissions from the parties, the presiding officer, Dr. David Eden, had ruled the inquest be postponed. 

The Elizabeth Fry Society, who have expressed concerns about Baker's treatment while in custody, said in an Apr. 11 press release that the delay was due to Correctional Services of Canada (CSC) not producing documents ordered for seizure by Dr. Eden to further his investigation into Terry Baker's death. 

Baker, who pleaded guilty to her part in the 2002 murder of 16-year-old Robbie McLennan, died at St. Mary's General Hospital in Kitchener on Jul. 6, 2016. She was transferred to the hospital from Grand Valley Institution for Women after being found unresponsive in her cell. 

In 2017, a coroner's inquest to examine the events surrounding Baker's death was announced by then regional supervising coroner for inquests, Dr. David Eden. 

The cause of Baker's death in 2016 has not been specified, but in an interview back in 2016, Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies executive director Kim Pate said Baker was found with a ligature around her neck. 

An inquest into Baker's death is mandatory under the Coroner's Act. 

Baker, who was 16-years-old at the time of McLennan's murder in 2002, was convicted of first-degree murder as an adult in 2006 and handed a life sentence. Baker's then 20-year-old boyfriend, William Bronson Penasse, also pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in 2005 and was sentenced to life in prison without eligibility for parole until 2030. 

Another 16-year-old – who was never identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act – was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 18 months. 

A new date for the inquest has not yet been determined.