A 22 year old Ottawa man was in court today charged with murdering a sex trade worker almost 3 years ago.

Police say Adrian Daou confessed to the killing while in jail for another crime. Daou was serving 9 months on drug related charges. 

  A few days ago, he came forward to Ottawa police to say that he was the one who was responsible for killing 36 year old Jennifer Stewart; a murder case whose trail had gone cold until now.  It was a horrible ending to a difficult life. 36 year old Jennifer Stewart, who police describe as a sex trade worker, was found dead in a Vanier parking lot in the summer of 2010.   She had been stabbed multiple times. With no leads and no arrests, the case had gone cold until now when police say a man police they had in custody on DRUG charges confessed.

   “We just weren't on the trail of this guy,” says Ottawa Police Inspector John Maxwell. “This guy came out of left field and confessed.”

      Daou appeared in court today, charged with first degree murder. His lawyer wouldn't comment on whether Daou had confessed.  He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

   “When he was under arrest he contacted me for advice,” says Robert Carew, Daou’s lawyer. “That's all I can say.  I can't tell you what he said (to me)” 

     The murder charge comes just weeks after police announced an arrest in two other unsolved murder cases. On Feb 6, 56 year old Mark Leduc was charged with killing 23-year-old Leeanne Lawson in 2011 and with the 2008 murder of Pamela Kosmack.   

   “The fact we've solved three murders recently, we absolutely we feel good about that,” says Inspector Maxwell. “It's a good day in the office today.”

   The murders of four other women in the sex trade remain unsolved.  Melinda Sheppit was killed in 1990.

Sophie Filion was found dead in December of 1993. Carrie Doloris Mancuso was found in 1995 and Kelly Morrisseau was murdered in Gatineau in 2006.  

   “We do have people working cold cases who review them once in a while,” says the Inspector. “Science is making leaps and bounds daily it seems. So we keep on track of that through our people in identification.” 

   Inspector Maxwell says police are still taking tips on any of those other unsolved murders and still warning sex trade workers to be extremely cautious, to report any unusual activity to police.