Chilliwack/New Westminster – Aaron Douglas is charged with the August 2014 murders of Richard Blackmon and Tyler Belcourt in a downtown Chilliwack apartment (Nowell and Gore).
Douglas is also charged in the attempted murder of a woman who survived the alleged attack. her name has never been released.
Douglas appeared in BC Supreme Court in Chilliwack this past Monday via video for what was supposed to be a pre-trial conference.
Douglas’ lawyer, Ken Beatch, said the jury trial should not be presented in Chilliwack because the “high profile, notorious” case has garnered vast media attention in the Fraser Valley.
Plus, he has not had proper time to consult his client let alone a first extensive meeting.
The family and friends of the victims will now have to travel to New Westminster to be at the trial as the venue has been changed and the judge agreed to the argument that finding an impartial jury would be tough in the Valley.
Crown Council agreed with the move citing better security measures at New West as opposed to Chilliwack.
Court availability and scheduling plays into this, so the trial won’t start until 2017.
The case is due back in court in New Westminster on January 25, 2017 to fix a trial date.
