Suffield woman to stand trial for disappearance and death of husband

A Suffield woman has been ordered to stand trial for the disappearance and death of her husband.

A preliminary hearing for Deborah Murrill Belyea concluded Jan. 11 in provincial court with the matter forwarded to Court of King’s Bench to schedule dates for proceedings.

The hearing had been scheduled to conclude Jan. 13. Material presented is protected under a publication ban.

Belyea, 69, was arrested in October 2021 in the week after the RCMP issued a public statement saying her husband, Alfred

Belyea, was considered a missing person.

The body of the Cypress County councillor was discovered in a farm building near Piapot, Sask., about 90 minutes from the couple’s home in Suffield.

Deborah Belyea was charged with second-degree murder and interfering with human remains. She has pleaded not guilty through her defence attorney, Katherine Beyak.

Belyea, who suffers from several medical conditions, was granted bail in early 2022 on condition that she reside in an assisted living facility.

The matter will next appear in Court of King’s Bench in Medicine Hat on Feb. 10 where scheduling process might begin.