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Lacy is known for having child pornography charges against a Sudbury doctor withdrawn.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
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.