Man accused of killing Renee Sweeney changes lawyers, trial delayed
There has been another delay in the Renee Sweeney murder court case as the man accused in her murder has changed lawyers two weeks before his trial was set to begin.
Robert Steven Wright was charged in December 2018 with murdering Sweeney in 1998. He has been in jail since his arrest.
Robert Steven Wright, 43, is on trial for second-degree murder in the 1998 death of Renee Sweeney. He took the stand Monday afternoon to testify in his own defence. (File)
The trial was supposed to begin in May, but because of concern that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could force a postponement, Justice Gregory Ellies rescheduled it to Oct. 25.
In a court hearing Tuesday morning, Wright's lead counsel, defence lawyer Berk Keaney, declared a conflict. Keaney told CTV News all parties agreed that it would be proper for him to step aside as lead counsel. Michael Lacy will take his place.
Lacy is known for having child pornography charges against a Sudbury doctor withdrawn.
Michael Venturi is another lawyer on the defence team. When asked if he will remain on the case, he told CTV News "that is to be determined."
"This matter returns to criminal assignment court on Nov. 2 to set new dates for the pre-trial motions and trial," a court clerk told CTV News in an email.
Wright was an 18-year-old high school senior when Sweeney, 23, was brutally stabbed to death at Adults Only Video on Paris Street, where she worked as a clerk.
Police supplied photos of Steven Wright who would have been 18 at the time of Renee Sweeney's murderThe investigation into her killing produced few leads until late 2018 when Greater Sudbury Police arrested Wright while he was at work in North Bay.
None of the allegations has been proven in court.
With files from Darren MacDonald, a digital content producer for CTV News Sudbury
Correction
The change in Wright's lead council is due to a conflict declared by Berk Keaney.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.