I don't recall reading anywhere what arrangements JRN specifically intended or even why it was a certainty that JRN would've been granted 50/50 child custody in the hearing the following day, had it occurred. Only that KR agreed to it. To go from zero/informal to 50% is quite a sharp change. Even by mutual agreement of the parents, a judge wouldn't automatically agree to 50% custody because they are representing the best interests of the child. Add in social workers who might've been involved in the past and so forth, it's not so clear cut.
So other than KR using the "good guy" ploy with visions of it culminating in his mind into a little, happy family, I can't think of one good reason why he didn't intend to dispute a 50/50 child care arrangement - as it seemed he had stable family support in terms of childcare that JRN did not, also knowing it would cost him money.
That's why I think the only reason KR agreed was because in his mind the four year (just guessing knowing the child was 3)) romantic relationship between the two of them wasn't over. When JRN wouldn't back down, the family court hearing represented a legal conclusion to him, much the same as divorce court.
It's also never been stated by the media, that I can recall, was a formal arrangement really JRN's idea or was someone in the background moving her forward? The reason I wonder, I can't help get the impression she wasn't yet at the point of knowing what sort of relationship even she wanted from KR.
The following statement can be taken a couple of ways. Does it refer to "the night of her death"? Or does "time" refer to a broader context for example "she was living at 123 Street at the time of her death". I think it's the later and the reason the media is only sharing the basic details of the trial is out of respect of the victim and consideration of the future for the young child as well.
"Parker said the relationship between Rubletz and Newman was a tumultuous one, but while they had broken up and were seeing others,
they were still intimate at the time of her death."
http://calgarysun.com/news/local-ne...wman-was-killed-in-crime-of-passion-jury-told
As Otto has also mentioned, Alberta's presently in a terrible situation involving overloaded courts, several longstanding judicial vacancies, not enough courtrooms and now as a result of a recent Supreme Court ruling, charges being dropped due to delays. Justice has taken a back seat, Therefore I'd bet the prosecution would've been eager to offer KR a manslaughter "crime of passion" plea and he'd have taken it. But that didn't occur only because of the 75 stab wounds, hard to justify to the public that it wasn't intended to cause death.
JMO