Mother pleads guilty to drugging, killing daughter amid custody dispute

A southern Alberta mother whokilled her daughter by drugging her and burning her alive inside a car has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

Amber Lucius, who was nine, was found dead in a car on a rural road near Sundre, about 100 kilometres northwest of Calgary, in September 2014.

Amber lived in a rural area near Wetaskiwin andhad been visiting her mother, Laura Coward, on the Labour Day long weekend.

Shewas supposed to have beenreturned to her father, Duane Lucius,two days before her body was found.

"I've lost my daughter and I'll miss her," said a distraughtLuciusoutside the courthouse Thursday.

"She was a fun-loving little girl. She had a lot of life ahead of her and I wish she'd still be here."

Coward was originally charged with first-degree murder.

Butdefence lawyer Jim Lutz and Crown prosecutor MacVombergnegotiated a plea, which was entered in a Calgary court Thursday.

In the court documents released Thursday, it was revealed for the first time publicly that Coward admitted to drugging her daughter and setting the car on fire while she was alive.

It happened on Aug. 30. Coward separated Amber from her elder half-sister and a group of friends at about 10:30 p.m.

She told them she was going to take Amber star gazing, butdrove her daughter to pick up someTimbits and then to a rural road.

Coward gave her daughter sleeping pillsthat she'd stolen from a friend. Whileher daughter was unconscious inside the SUV, Coward stole a propane torch from a nearby trailerand set iton fire. The child, burned alive, died of smoke inhalation.

Amber had been at the centre of a lengthy custody battle between her parents, according to court documents.

• Amber Lucius's mother charged with 1st-degree murder

Coward and Lucius separated in October 2007.

Despite 10 court orders directing Coward to allow Lucius access to his daughter, Coward did not comply and Lucius was granted full custody of Amber in June 2013.

A hang-up 911 call on Sept. 2, 2014, led RCMP to the car, whichwas parked on a friend's property. Officers arrested Coward as she emergedfrom the friend's home wrapped in a blanket.

A sentencing hearing will take place in March.