“It’s a significant conflict for my office to represent him,” said Lyster. Bird, 22, was arrested in February 2021 in Prince Albert and charged with accessory to the murder of 26-year-old Braeden Sparvier. Shari Heathen, 27, also of Onion Lake, was arrested in July 2020 and charged with second-degree murder for Sparvier’s death. Turtleford RCMP say Sparvier’s body was found east of St. Walburg in the R.M. of Frenchman Butte on Jan. 1, 2020. Bird is scheduled to appear in Lloydminster Provincial Court on April 12. Heathen’s defence lawyer Blaine Beaven, at a previous court appearance said that he submitted a resolution proposal to the Crown. She appears next on April 6.
“What bothers me here is that a 10-year-old boy witnessed this and that will be seared into his memory I’m sure for the rest of his life and he had the unfortunate circumstance of watching,” said Judge Young. “That is very disturbing.” North Battleford Crown Prosecutor Charlotte Morden told the court that Mooswa suffered 12 knife wounds and that a 17-centimetre wound to his right upper chest cut his aorta, causing his death. After Stanley stabbed Mooswa, he fled the residence, and using a trail through the woods, went to another residence on Onion Lake. He discarded his bloody clothes but RCMP later recovered them.
More adjournments for two accused of killing Braden Bull
The cases against two Onion Lake men charged in connection to the murder of Braden Richard Bull, 32, of Little Pine First Nation were adjourned again.
The appearances for Vega Bear, 24, and Branden Dillon, 26, were waived in Lloydminster Provincial Court Feb. 3.
Vega’s defence lawyer Brian Pfefferle told the court he is in discussions with the Crown about a preliminary hearing and disclosure. Both Pfefferle and the Crown requested an adjournment in Vega’s case until March 3.
Dillon also had an appearance scheduled on Feb. 3 and his matter was adjourned to March 3.
Stanley, 28, was arrested 14 months ago. The Supreme Court ruled, in 2016, that court cases must be heard within 18 months in provincial court and 30 months in superior court. If they aren’t, the case could be thrown out of court. The COVID-19 pandemic has created delays and a backlog in Saskatchewan’s court system. During the first wave of COVID-19, court cases for non-custody accused and docket proceedings at circuit court locations were adjourned from March 23 to June 1. Bail hearings and sentencing for in-custody accused continued by telephone and video-conferencing at the 13 permanent court locations that remained open. Earlier this week, the province said they were suspending most of its court operations starting next week due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From Dec. 14 to Jan. 15, 2021, most trials, preliminary inquiries and in-person hearings will be cancelled. The matters scheduled will be spoken to by telephone. The province’s Court of Queen’s Bench shelved all ju