Donna Bartlett (centre), the grandmother of Marcedes Myran, walks to the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba building in downtown Winnipeg, where the trial of Jeremy Skibicki, the man accused of killing Myran and three other Indigenous women is set to begin, on Monday, April 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Daniel Crump.
WINNIPEG – Lawyers return to court today to hash out a pre-trial argument in the case of a Winnipeg man accused of killing four women.
Lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki are arguing for a trial by judge alone, saying two years of publicity may sway the jury panel that was picked last week.
The court is slated to hear testimony from Dr. Christine Ruva, a U.S.-based psychologist and professor.
According to her online biography, Ruva has explored the effects of pretrial publicity on jurors’ perceptions.
Skibicki has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, Rebecca Contois and a fourth unidentified woman Indigenous leaders have named Buffalo Woman.
The jury won’t be called in to begin hearing evidence until next week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2024.
