Renee Sweeney murder trial rescheduled to next year, here is why
After being in jail for more than three years, the man accused of the brutal murder of a Sudbury woman in 1998 will stand trial next year.
Renee Sweeney was a 23-year-old student at Laurentian University who worked as a part-time clerk at Adults Only Video. She was stabbed to death while working at the store sometime between 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 27, 1998. (File)
The trial for the man accused of killing Renee Sweeney, Robert Steven Wright, was originally scheduled for May 2021 but was postponed to that fall due to the pandemic. Two weeks before his trial was to begin in October 2021, Wright's lawyer, Berk Keaney, declared a conflict of interest, leading him to hire Michael Lacy as his new lead counsel.
For Lacy to get up to speed on the case, the trial was tentatively postponed again until September 2022.
Lacy confirmed to CTV News in an email the trial is now scheduled to begin Feb. 21, 2023, just after the 25th anniversary of Sweeney's murder.
The new adjournment is due to Lacy's availability, as the court heard he is scheduled to represent someone else in another matter elsewhere.
Robert Steven Wright was arrested in December 2018 while he was at work in North Bay and has been in jail ever since after being denied bail several times.
The original charge of first-degree murder was changed to second-degree murder in August 2019.
Wright was an 18-year-old high school senior when 23-year-old Sweeney was brutally stabbed to death at Adults Only Video on Paris Street, where she worked as a clerk.
Robert Steven WrightDue to a publication ban, CTV News is not able to report any of the details of the case.
Robert Steven Wright was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the murder of Renee Sweeney
The trial has not yet begun and none of the charges has been proven in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.