Dwayne Hammond has pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder in the death of Nolan Panchyshyn.

Panchyshyn, a 20-year-old Southampton resident, was last heard from on Dec. 13, 2017 and was reported missing shortly afterward.

The Owen Sound court heard that a day earlier he had met with Hammond and a mutual friend to consume meth and wound up at Hammond's Dornoch-area home - which is where Panchyshyn was eventually killed.

His body was found on Hammond's property in March 2018. A rifle was also found in a nearby lake.

The circumstances surrounding the death are protected by a publication ban, but Hammond did apparently admit to misleading police.

He also admitted to being in his home when Panchyshyn was shot, assisting with the movement of his body, helping to clean the crime scene and helping to dispose of the rifle.

Hammond had been charged with second-degree murder, indignity to a body and possession of a weapon while prohibited, but the murder charge was dropped in March.

Hammond was sentenced to five years in prison, but will serve three-and-a-half-years after having already spent 12 months behind bars and receiving credit for an additional six months.

Also charged in the case is 21-year-old David Beattie, who is facing one count of second-degree murder and one count of indignity to a body.

His case is expected to begin later this year.