Dean McNeely confesses to fatally beating 35-year-old man in April 2020

At the Yellowknife courthouse on Monday, Dean McNeely admitted to beating a 35-year-old man to death three years ago. 

In Supreme Court, McNeely plead guilty to manslaughter in the death of Mark Patrick Ryan which occurred on April 28, 2020, in downtown Yellowknife.

The agreed statement of facts was read in court, detailing the events of the evening where Ryan was killed. 

It started when several people, including Ryan and McNeely, were hanging out at the Grayling Manor apartment building in downtown Yellowknife. 

At some point in the evening Ryan initiated a fight with McNeely and the two were told to take it outside, which they did. 

Shortly after, McNeely returned to the apartment alone and when asked where Ryan was, he responded, "He's knocked out." 

After some time, the group decided to check on Ryan and bring him back into the apartment. They eventually realized Ryan wasn't breathing and called an ambulance. 

According to the RCMP press release on the incident in April 2020, police were called around 2:22 a.m. and Yellowknife emergency medical workers were already at the scene trying to revive Ryan. When police arrived, he was dead, says the release.

According to the agreed statement of facts, the group members planned to lie to the authorities to protect McNeely. They claimed they weren't aware of the altercation or were napping during it. 

McNeely wasn't charged until a year and a half after the incident. 

An investigator determined the cause of Ryan's death was blunt force trauma to the head and neck, which caused several injuries, including brain swelling. 

As part of his plea, McNeely agreed that his actions caused the death of Ryan, but that he did not intend to do so. 

The crown and defence are expected to put forward a proposed joint sentence, and McNeely's next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 28. 

There is no minimum sentence for manslaughter that doesn't involve a firearm.