B.C. man loses bid to withdraw guilty plea for murders of wife, son

This photo shows the courthouse in Prince George, B.C. (Credit: provincialcourt.bc.ca)

A B.C. man who admitted to killing his wife and son has lost his bid to withdraw his guilty plea in the case, with a judge finding he understood the consequences.

Orlan Marcel Dennis pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in the shooting deaths of his wife Darlene and his 18-year-old son Dorian, according to a recently published court decision.

A summary of background facts describes what unfolded on April 9, 2024, on the Tsay Keh Dene Nation, a remote community hundreds of kilometres north of Prince George.

Dennis had been drinking with friends at his mother’s house, which was across the street from the home he lived in with his wife and two sons, the court heard.

“He left his mother’s and went to his own home. At approximately 10:00 p.m., he and Ms. Dennis started arguing. Mr. Dennis retrieved a shotgun from a gun safe and shot her, and then also shot his 18-year-old son, Dorian, as he was coming up the stairs,” according to the decision.

“Both were found deceased when the police attended the Dennis residence.”

Dennis’ mother called 911 and the police arrived roughly 10 minutes later, the court heard.

“Mr. Dennis was on the steps of his mother’s house, shotgun in hand. He gained access to his mother’s house and refused to leave for several hours despite the police urging him to do so,” the judgment said, adding the heavily armed Emergency Response Team was called in and deployed tear gas into the home, forcing Dennis out.

“Mr. Dennis then exited with a .22 calibre rifle in his hands and a round in the chamber. He was shot in the hip and arm and taken into custody.”

Dennis entered his guilty plea in April of last year but filed an application to withdraw it earlier this month on the grounds it was “uninformed and invalid,” according to the decision.

A conviction for second-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence, with a minimum parole eligibility period of 10 years. Dennis argued his lawyer informed him of this but that he did not understand what it meant, according to the judgment.

“Had he understood, he says he would not have pled guilty but instead relied on the defence of intoxication to try to avoid the specific intent required for murder,” the decision said.

Dennis told the court he thought the plea meant he was accepting a total sentence of 10 years—not a life sentence with the ability to apply for parole after a decade.

The judge considered evidence from Dennis’ lawyer, including an affidavit and her notes from their meetings when assessing the application. The lawyer said she advised Dennis there was a “significant chance” he would be found guilty at trial.

The lawyer quoted Dennis as saying—on at least two occasions—that he didn’t want to “gamble” with his life and was prepared to accept the deal. The judge noted the evidence showed Dennis had to be “reminded” of the consequences of the plea, but found he ultimately understood them.

Dennis has not yet been sentenced, but the judgment on the guilty plea suggests Crown and defence will make a joint submission arguing for a parole eligibility period of 10 years. A sentencing judge can reject a joint submission, but only in narrow circumstances.