Two young Brockville-area men have pleaded guilty to a hit and run last summer that killed a 16-year-old.

Aaron Stevenson, a talented drummer and skateboarder was struck and then dumped at a skateboard park. Today, the small Brockville courtroom was packed with Aaron Stevenson’s family members and high school friends. His death and the way his body was handled have hit the Seaway community hard.

23-year-old Joseph Greer and 21-year-old Rusty Pearce have been in custody since Aaron Stevenson was killed four and a half months ago on September 1st along a strip of highway just outside Brockville. Stevenson and a friend had been at a party earlier in the evening and around 12:30 were skateboarding along County Road 2. Brockville court heard that Stevenson was in the middle of the unlit highway when he was struck. Stevenson's body flew over the roof the pickup and landed in the back of the truck. Rusty Pearce, who had been driving, knew he had hit someone, even yelled “Holy F***”, which woke up his passenger, Joseph Greer. They drove to Brockville and pulled over to have a cigarette. That's when they saw Stevenson’s body in the back of Greer’s pick-up, covered in blood. Both Greer and Pearce had been at a party as well and consumed alcohol, according to an agreed statement of facts, although Greer had had far more. Court heard that Greer wanted to call police but Pearce who was the driver told Greer "we have to get rid of it" , meaning “the body.” They concocted a plan to dump Stevenson in a skateboard park on George Street in Brockville. Then Pearce called 9-1-1 to report seeing someone lying in the street.

"He's on the side of the road," he told the 9-1-1 operator, "I don't know if he was drinking and then he passed out.  There's lots of blood around him ma'am"

"It's every parent’s worst nightmare for sure,” said Kelly Stevenson, Aaron’s mother, outside the Brockville courthouse, “I never thought in a million years I’d ever get that phone call, ever.”

16-year-old Aaron was an avid drummer and athlete, entering grade 11 in Brockville.   His death and the way his body was discarded have traumatized his family.

"Everything they did after Aaron was hit was terribly wrong,” says Kelly Stevenson, “he didn't deserve that. They could have just taken him to the hospital but this is just not right.”

Both Pearce and Greer have pleaded guilty to interfering with human remains, and obstructing justice.  Greer has another charge of impaired driving. Greer is being sent for a psychiatric assessment before the two are returned back to court February 20th to begin the pre-sentence submissions.