Maria Shepherd

In 1992, at the age of 23 and while pregnant with her fourth child, Maria plead guilty to manslaughter in the death of her three-year-old stepdaughter, Kasandra. Maria entered a guilty plea mid-trial when faced with Dr. Charles Smith's expert evidence that Kasandra had been killed by a blow to the head. Defence counsel and Crown counsel entered a joint submission on a sentence of two years less a day with three years probation. This lesser sentence was a strong inducement in her decision to plead guilty, as she may otherwise have faced a much longer sentence, which would have torn her away from a family she desperately wanted to keep together. Maria was incarcerated and taken from her young family for 11 months. The Ontario Court of Appeal set aside Maria’s conviction on the basis of new forensic expert evidence which demonstrated that Smith's conclusions were without scientific basis. Twenty-five years later, February 2016, Maria 's guilty plea was set aside and she was acquitted of manslaughter in the Ontario Court of Appeal. Since her acquittal Maria has realized her dream of becoming a licensed paralegal and runs her own paralegal practice. Maria is a member of the Innocence Canada Board of Directors and raises awareness regarding wrongful conviction by leading speaking engagements across the country.