Murder trial dates set for accused in two cases, another has dates delayed

Dates of trials in two separate murder cases were set Friday in Courts of Queen’s Bench in Medicine Hat, while date setting for a man co-accused in one homicide was postponed.

Noah Bentley is accused of second-degree murder in the death of Brenda Woloski in late 2016. At an arraignment on Friday, Justice D.K. Miller ordered Bentley to stand trial in Medicine Hat beginning on Nov. 5.

“I plead not guilty, your honour,” Bently told the court during a brief appearance as the charge was read.

The trial, by judge and jury, is scheduled to take nine days to complete.

In an unrelated matter, two men accused of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Jordan Pede on New Year’s Eve 2016 now have the same defence lawyer, but their cases are still proceeding separately, court heard.

Trial dates for Leonard Robert Terence Beaulieu were filed with court clerks on Friday morning. It will take place Jan. 7-22, 2019.

The other man accused is Luke Boxell, who was scheduled Friday to be arraigned and have a trial date set.

Defence lawyer Lyndon Heidinger appeared to announce he had filed to become the designated counsel in Boxell’s case and would require an adjournment to the next arraignment date.

Boxell’s preliminary hearing took place in early December. Heidinger said he needed more time to examine the case against his new client.

That takes the matter to Feb. 9.

Boxell is not in custody, but is on $10,000 bond, and strict conditions he reside with relatives in Manitoba.

Crown prosecutors told Justice Miller they still favour a trial date in January 2019.

The charges were laid after 24-year-old Jordan Pede was found on Dec. 31, 2016 in Strathcona Island Park by police. He suffered a gunshot wound to the head and later died in Calgary hospital in January.

Woloski’s body was found on Nov. 12, 2016 by police who arrested Bentley near the woman’s residence at the intersection of Maple Avenue and Third Street SE.