Murder case delayed
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Frustrated by a delay in obtaining disclosure, a lawyer for an accused murderer hopes a judge will speed things up.
Jack Kelly, representing Brent William Crouse, 37, of Calgary, told Red Deer provincial court on Wednesday that it’s been four months since his client was charged and he still hasn’t received full disclosure.
Kelly had set a bail review in Court of Queen’s Bench for today but had to postpone that because of the disclosure delay.
Kelly said he received partial disclosure in July but needs all the evidence before he can mount an effective bail argument.
Crouse is charged with the first-degree murder of Sheldon Mark Hiller, 46, of Red Deer. Crouse is also charged with being an accessory to murder.
Hiller’s body was found in a ditch near Raven on April 17. The remains were discovered next to Hwy 54, about three km from the small community west of Innisfail.
Kelly told court the delay stems from the RCMP.
He said the Crown prosecutor’s office hasn’t received the full package yet either.
“I’m putting this on the record,” Kelly said.
He hoped to set a preliminary hearing date but that will take a pre-trial conference because the hearing will take at least three days, Judge Thomas Schollie said.
Kelly hopes that by setting the conference, the judge hearing the pre-trial will help speed up the disclosure process.
The case was adjourned until Oct. 22.
Charles Richard Beckett, 47, and Larry Allen Scott, 51, both of Red Deer return to court on April 27 for a five-day preliminary hearing.
Both are also charged with first-degree murder and being an accessory to murder. They were charged separately from Crouse.
All three remain in custody.
The cause of death wasn’t released by police.
Contact Jack Wilson at jwilson@reddeeradvocate.com
