Dean Penney continued testifying for a fourth day before a jury in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, in the first-degree murder trial surrounding the 2016 death of his estranged wife, Jennifer Hillier-Penney. The Crown has alleged that Penney confessed to the killing during an RCMP “Mr. Big” undercover sting operation.
A “Mr. Big” operation involves undercover officers posing as members of a criminal organization in an effort to gain a suspect’s trust and secure a confession about past crimes. During testimony, Penney claimed he felt pressured by the fictitious crime boss to provide answers investigators wanted and said he eventually felt compelled to “make up a story.”
The jury trial at the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador began on April 1 and is expected to continue until at least May 22. The case remains one of the province’s most closely watched criminal proceedings.
