A man accused of the death of 16-year-old Makayla Chang in 2017 has now pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
Steven Bacon issued the plea in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday.
Second-degree murder carries an automatic sentence of life in prison and Bacon will not be eligible for parole for at least 10 years.
Chang disappeared in Nanaimo on March 17, 2017, and police declared the case a homicide when her remains were found two months later.
Bacon was arrested in New Brunswick in September 2019 on unrelated charges after Nanaimo RCMP issued a national appeal for information on his whereabouts.
Police had previously referred to Bacon as a “person of interest” in the case, and said Chang may have travelled with him to Metro Vancouver.
Bacon will next appear in court on Aug. 29 to fix a date for sentencing.