Preliminary hearings set for four accused in kidnapping, murder case

Preliminary hearing dates have been scheduled in two incidents — one a homicide and the other an alleged kidnapping.

Four men — Andrew Bellegarde, Bronson Chad Gordon, Stuart Michael Sabiston and Daniel Theodore — appeared in Regina Provincial Court on Thursday on a range of charges related to incidents in April.

Defence lawyers for the men joined them for a case management conference, which resulted in the setting of preliminary hearing dates in the two cases.

With the exception of Sabiston — who is not charged in the death of 34-year-old Reno Lee — the men will return to court May 16 for an approximately two-week-long preliminary hearing in relation to that case. Bellegarde, Gordon and Theodore each face a first-degree murder charge.

All four men will be back in the week of June 6, when a preliminary hearing has been scheduled in the case of the alleged kidnapping and confinement of a 31-year-old woman on April 22.

The four — who are in custody at this point — are among a larger group of people charged in connection with the two incidents.

According to information that was previously reported, it’s believed Lee died April 18, though his body was not found until April 30 north of Balcarres.

The 31-year-old woman was allegedly kidnapped on April 22. (Police have not commented on whether the two incidents are related.) Police reported the incident started at a residence on the 2100 block of Angus Street and continued at an address on the 4400 block of Pasqua Street. The complainant later was brought back to the Angus Street location.

A number of other people charged in the two incidents remain before the court.

The preliminary hearings will allow a judge to determine if the Crown has sufficient evidence to take the two cases to trial at Court of Queen’s Bench. It’s expected both cases will be tried before a judge and jury.