WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced domestic violence or know someone affected by it.
A man who admitted to killing and dismembering his wife has been sentenced to 16 years in prison by a British Columbia Supreme Court judge.
Obnes Regis initially pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of Langley, B.C., teacher-librarian Naomi Onotera and committing indignity to her remains, but later pleaded guilty to both charges after his trial began in May.
The brief trial in New Westminster heard that Regis killed Onotera with a single punch to the head during an argument in the couple’s home.
The court heard that he then dismembered her body and disposed of her remains along the banks of the Fraser River in Fort Langley, about 40 kilometres east of Vancouver.
Regis told undercover officers about his crimes in December 2021, after Onotera was reported missing by family members that August.
He later repeated the confession to Mounties during an interrogation, adding that his then-18-month-old daughter had witnessed the assault and had accompanied him when he scattered his wife’s remains.
The sentence included 11 years for the manslaughter charge and five for the indignity to remains charge.
Justice Martha Devlin said Tuesday there was a need to demonstrate that intimate partner violence would not be tolerated by the courts.
With credit for time served in custody, Regis will serve just over 12 years in prison.
For anyone affected by family or intimate partner violence, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services. If you’re in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.