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B.C. Court Reveals Reasons Why It Refused To Move Serial-murder Trial

Dirk Meissner The Canadian Press, 25 Sep, 2014 05:16 PM

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - A public opinion poll failed to sway a B.C. Supreme Court judge to move a high-profile serial murder trial from Prince George to Vancouver.

The decision on the change of venue for the murder trial of Cody Legebokoff was made in December 2012, but a publication ban was only lifted recently after he was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder.

During the hearing Legebokoff's lawyer, James Heller, claimed there had been extensive media coverage and some of the pre-trial publicity had connected Legebokoff to the murders or disappearances of women on the so-called Highway of Tears between Prince George and Prince Rupert.

The defence paid for a public opinion poll that raised a spectre of bias, but Justice Glen Parrett said the survey offered little in deciding if the court venue should be changed.

Parrett refused to grant the move and said the tools were in place for a fair trial to take place before an impartial jury in Prince George.

Legebokoff was convicted by a jury earlier this month and sentenced to life in prison for the murders of Cynthia Maas, Jill Stuchenko, Natasha Montgomery and Loren Leslie.

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