Guilty plea in 2007 cold case stabbing death

A man has admitted to killing an Edmonton man in a cold case that stretches back nearly 15 years.

On June 12, 2007, police found the body of 22-year-old Richard Harris in the trunk of a rental vehicle in an Edmonton church parking lot.

An autopsy showed he died from multiple stab wounds.

Michael Potestio pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench in Edmonton on Wednesday morning.

He was arrested in March of 2020 in the Vancouver area after police in Edmonton began reviewing the case in December of 2018.

Potestio was initially charged with second-degree murder following a 15-month investigation.

Sentences for manslaughter can range from no jail time to life imprisonment.

Lawyers will meet later this month to set a date for a sentencing hearing.