Man charged with murder in New Year’s Eve shooting to go to trial in January

By Medicine Hat News on December 6, 2017.

A three-day preliminary inquiry for a man charged with second-degree murder following a New Year’s Eve homicide was cut short, as all agreed there was enough evidence to go to trial.

No witnesses or evidence were called Wednesday at the Medicine Hat Courthouse for the hearing, with an arraignment date before the Court of Queens Bench now set for Jan. 12, 2018 for Luke Boxell.

Boxell’s co-accused, Leonard Robert Terence Beaulieu, has a preliminary inquiry set to run from Dec. 13-15.

The pair was charged following the death of 24-year-old Jordan Pede. Pede was found injured at Strathcona Island Park on New Year’s Eve, and later died in hospital. Police have called the homicide a drug deal gone wrong, with the cause of death being a gunshot wound.

Boxell was later arrested by police in January, while Beaulieu was arrested in Winnipeg following a Canada-wide warrant, with multiple police agencies working together to locate him.

In March, Boxell was released on a $10,000 cash surety with strict conditions, which included residing under 24-hour house arrest with his family in Manitoba.

Beaulieu has remained in custody since his initial arrest, and was denied bail following a hearing in August.

A publication ban prevents the reporting of evidence, arguments and reasonings put forward during the bail hearing and preliminary hearings.

Note: This story has been updated to correct Jordan Pede’s age. The News apologizes for the error.