Camrose man pleads guilty to 2nd-degree murder in 2020 death of woman found dead in Edmonton motel

WARNING: The details in this story may be disturbing to some readers.

A Camrose man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Lisa Arsenault, who was found dead in a south Edmonton motel in 2020.

Ian Stewart Gainer was originally charged with first-degree murder in Arsenault’s May 2020 death. He pleaded guilty Friday morning to the lesser charge of second-degree murder.

Arsenault, 48, was found dead inside a suite at the Royal Lodge just off Gateway Boulevard near 38 Avenue on May 24, 2020.

In an agreed statement of facts, court heard Gainer had been staking out the motel, watching it in the days leading up to the murder. He later told police he believe Arsenault was involved in a large cocaine trafficking ring and he assumed she would have a lot of money on her, which he could take. He never did obtain any money from the victim.

CCTV footage from outside the motel, which was obtained by police, showed Arsenault enter the suite at 1:40 p.m. on May 24, 2020. Gainer followed her three minutes later, holding a dark object in his hand.

Gainer was inside the motel suite for 14 minutes and no one else entered or exited the room, the agreed statement of facts detailed. He then left the area in a vehicle around 2:05 p.m.

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The video footage showed a motel employee enter the suite at 7:55 p.m. and exited calling 911. Police arrived on scene at 8 p.m.

Court heard Gainer tied up Arsenault with ropes around her wrists and ankles, which would tighten a noose around her neck if she moved. He also covered her head with tights and duct tape.

Arsenault died of strangulation and smothering.

In August of that year, police released a short surveillance video clip of the suspect leaving the motel. The video showed a man walk out of a motel suite at the Royal Lodge, close the door and walk away. Two days after releasing the video to the public, the man was charged.

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A date for sentencing is scheduled to be set in two weeks.

With files from Breanna Karstens-Smith, Global News.