Men plead guilty to manslaughter in hotelier's death

Two men who killed a Carcross, Yukon, hotel and bar owner seven years ago have agreed to plead guilty to manslaughter.

Dean Boucher, 39, and Mark Lange, 36, appeared Friday morning in Yukon Supreme Court.

Just before Christmas 2004, Boucher and Lange went on a drinking spree. At the Caribou Hotel in Carcross, they beat and robbed Bob Olson before dumping his body in a ditch near Whitehorse.

The men were found guilty of murder in 2006 but the Yukon Court of Appeal ordered a new trial earlier this year on the basis that the jury in the original trial had not been given proper instructions.

Now, after lengthy negotiations, crown prosecutors have accepted the men's original admissions to manslaughter. Both men say they were too drunk to remember details but admit their roles in the beating death.

The plea bargain means Boucher and Lange can expect a reprieve from their current prison terms.

The court ordered psychological assessments of the men to be prepared for sentencing, which is tentatively scheduled for January. Court was told both men have been advised they'll likely be deemed long term offenders, which means even after serving their time, they'll be under strict supervision of the parole board for 10 more years.