A Charlottetown woman accused of killing two infants pleaded guilty to two charges of infanticide in provincial court Tuesday.

Police began their investigation in March 2017, when they received a report about a woman who had been seen to be pregnant twice, but did not appear to have young children.

Shannon Dawn Rayner, 40, was in P.E.I. provincial court in Charlottetown to enter the pleas. She sat quietly next to her lawyer as he addressed the court. Thane MacEachern told the judge he received the results of a mental health assessment done to determine if his client was mentally fit to stand trial.

He told the court Rayner was deemed fit to stand trial and that she was mentally fit to be held criminally responsible for her actions at the time of the incidents.

Rayner entered her pleas after months of delays while the court waited for the psychiatric assessment to be completed. Judge John Douglas first ordered the report last November.

Crown stays other charges

The Crown accepted Rayner's guilty pleas and requested a pre-sentence report.

"The Crown accepts the report from East Coast Forensic, finding the accused fit to stand trial and that she doesn't have a diagnosis of not criminally responsible," said Crown attorney Valerie Moore. "They feel she does have responsibility."

The Crown stayed four other charges against Rayner, including two for failing to seek assistance in childbirth and two for disposing of the dead body of a child with intent to conceal it had been delivered.

Judge John Douglas also accepted the recommendations from the report and found Rayner mentally fit.

He told the court this would be the first time he'd ever seen infanticide in his court. Rayner is scheduled to be sentenced June 5.

Rayner is not in custody. She also entered a guilty plea to a theft charge, following an incident in February.

Court has ordered her to stay away from the Atlantic Superstore in Charlottetown while that matter is before the courts.

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