Day parole granted for woman who plotted Stefanie Rengel’s 2008 murder

Melissa Todorovic, publicly known only as M.T. before being sentenced as an adult for the murder of Stefanie Rengel, is seen in an undated image. (Toronto Police Service)

Melissa Todorovic, the mastermind behind the murder of a Toronto teen, has once again been granted day parole.

When she was just 14-years-old, Todorovic pressured David Bagshaw, her then 17-year-old boyfriend, to kill Stefanie Rengel. Rengel, who was also 14 at the time, had previously dated Bagshaw and was perceived by Todorovic as a romantic rival.

On Jan. 1, 2008, Rengel was stabbed six times in the chest and left bleeding in a snowbank by her home. The teen succumbed to her injuries shortly after she was found by a passerby.

Todorovic was eventually found guilty of second-degree murder and given a life sentence with no chance of parole for seven years, which she served at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ont.

The Parole Board of Canada approved Todorovic’s request for day parole in September 2025, allowing the now 33-year-old to live at a community-based residential facility for six months.

The decision laid out the conditions she must follow, such as: reporting any relationships or friendships to her parole supervisor, having no contact with victims or their families, participating in a treatment plan, abiding by the imposed curfew of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., having no contact with anyone believed to be involved criminal activity, and allowing telecommunication devices monitoring.

Todorovic had also been granted day parole in December 2018, but it was revoked the following August when she failed to disclose romantic relationships with two men who were on probation.

“The men were aware that you were involved with both of them, and you used sex and jealousy to manipulate them, which mirrored your offence cycle,” the parole board said. “Your return to your offence cycle within a relatively short time and your willingness and ability to deceive those responsible for supervising you for some time casts doubt on your reliability to comply with parole requirements.”

The most recent decision also noted the progress Todorovic has made behind bars, including successfully completing all recommended correctional programs, furthering her education and making plans for her eventual release.

“It is the board’s opinion that you will not, by reoffending, present an undue risk to society if released on day parole and that your release will contribute to the protection of society by facilitating your reintegration into society as a law-abiding citizen,” it concluded.