Sudbury woman's lawyer on murder charge being dropped
Following the stunning development involving a charge against a Sudbury woman accused of her estranged husband's murder, CTV News spoke to the defendant's lawyer at the courthouse Wednesday morning.
Michael Lacy told CTV News on Tuesday the Crown dropped the first-degree murder charge against his client, Melissa Sheridan, because there was no reasonable prospect of getting a conviction after the primary witness was determined to be unreliable.
Sheridan's estranged husband, 56-year-old Brant Burke, was found shot to death Oct. 25, 2020, on a trail in Point Grondine Reserve, part of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory near Killarney.
She and Burke's older brother, Kerry, were both charged with first-degree murder in the case in November 2020.
Kerry Burke, who has been in jail since being charged, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in May and is currently awaiting sentencing.
He was a key witness in the Crown's case against Sheridan.
"We were here for the preliminary inquiry for Melissa Sheridan's case and the Crown called really the only witness who ever implicated her in any kind of wrongdoing, Kerry Burke -- the person who actually murdered his brother and he was testifying," Lacy said.
"We started our cross-examination and it became abundantly clear that he was not a truthful witness. He was a liar, something we have been saying for the past 18 months."
It has been extremely difficult on his client since she was charged, he added.
"Some people might think you should be elated when your first-degree murder charge gets withdrawn, but when your position is 'I never should have been charged in the first place and I have been put through 18 months of misery, 18 months of speculation, 18 months of the public believing that I am guilty of something, it's not exactly a happy day,'" Lacy said.
"I mean, she is glad the matter is over and now she can put this behind her, continue to be the mother to her children, help them grieve their father in the way she wants to do that."
Lacy said the Crown withdrew the charge because there is no evidence to support it and it would be highly abusive if the Crown wanted to reinitiate this prosecution.
CTV Northern Ontario requested an interview with the Crown Attorney's office but our request was declined.
The Ministry of the Attorney General did provide a statement that read in part:
"If the Crown determines at any time that there is no longer a reasonable prospect of conviction, or that it is not in the public interest to proceed, the Crown is duty bound to withdraw the charges."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.