Robert Ladouceur, charged with killing and dismembering two men, is set to appear in court Wednesday; his lawyer is waiting for information from the Crown.
Robert Ladouceur, who faces charges in the double murder and dismemberment of two Barrie men linked to a now-closed homeless camp, had a short video court appearance today.
David “Kyle” Cheesequay, 41, and William “Blake” Robinson, 45, died separately earlier this year. Authorities say they’ve found body parts belonging to both individuals.
Ladouceur, 52, is facing first- and second-degree murder charges related to the deaths of Cheesequay and Robinson. Police have not specified which charge corresponds to each victim.
The case hasn’t made much headway in court during the past two months since Ladouceur was charged.
Barrie police have charged Robert Ladouceur with murder in connection to a double-homicide investigation at a local homeless encampment. | Photo from Barrie Police Service
To move the case forward, Ladouceur’s attorney, Eginhart Ehlers, received permission on Friday for his client to appear in person before a judge in Barrie.
This has been scheduled for Wednesday when it’s anticipated that the complicated matter of disclosure-common in high-profile cases-will be discussed in Ontario Superior Court with Ladouceur present.
After three weeks since his last appearance, Ehlers indicated he expected to receive relevant materials ahead of today’s court date.
However, on Friday, the experienced defense lawyer informed the justice of the peace that he still hadn’t received any significant documents from the Crown.
Ladouceur only confirmed his name and date of birth during Friday’s session before thanking the justice of the peace and leaving the video suite at Central North Correctional Centre (CNCC) in Penetanguishene where he has been held for around ten weeks.
The day after police warned that Ladouceur should be considered “armed and dangerous,” he was arrested on Aug. 2 in Midland on weapons and drug-related charges.
This was when Barrie police revealed that they suspected him of more serious crimes leading up to murder charges filed on Aug. 14.
Barrie police held a press conference nearly two weeks later stating that Ladouceur was their only suspect regarding Cheesequay’s and Robinson’s deaths while confirming they weren’t looking for any additional victims.
During this same press conference, authorities declined to specify which murder charge applied to Cheesequay or Robinson.
Ladouceur has made several video court appearances but with little real progress so far. Ehlers has noted that he’s still considering pursuing bail while emphasizing his client’s right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
“(They are) only allegations unless the police and office of the Crown attorney can furnish evidence that can lead to convictions,” Ehlers wrote in an email seeking comment following Barrie police’s press conference.
Cheesequay and Robinson reportedly passed away approximately six months apart. Authorities claim they’ve retrieved human remains from three different locations.
Robinson grew up in Barrie while Cheesequay moved there early as an adult after originally coming from British Columbia.
Ladouceur was known by both Cheesequay and Robinson; all three had once lived together at a homeless camp near Anne Street and Victoria Street according to police reports.
The Anne/Victoria location was one of three places where authorities reported finding body parts; others were discovered in Oro-Medonte and Huntsville respectively.
This case led Mayor Alex Nuttall along with other city officials to take further steps concerning local homeless encampments beginning just after announcing murder charges at an impromptu press event outside the Anne/Victoria site
.
This initiative eventually escalated into declaring a state of emergency as well as dismantling two additional camps-one at Milligan’s Pond close by Anne/Victoria site-and another located across Mulcaster Street opposite Busby Centre downtown.
Source link
Source link
