New lawyer, jury trial to come for accused in Chipman double-murder case
Corey Agnew of Grand Lake waives preliminary hearing
One of two men accused of murder after two bodies were found in a burning vehicle near Chipman has acquired a new lawyer and waived a preliminary hearing.
Corey Agnew is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Robert Waugh, 47, and Victoria King, 23. Their bodies were found on Nov. 25 in a vehicle in the Grand Lake community about 60 kilometres northeast of Fredericton.
His new lawyer, T.J. Burke, told provincial court Judge Mélanie Poirier LeBlanc on Thursday that a preliminary hearing was not necessary and requested going right to jury trial. The Crown agreed.
Agnew, from the Minto area of Grand Lake, was previously represented by lawyer Nathan Gorham. But last month, a Crown prosecutor told court he believed Gorham's firm was in a conflict of interest representing Agnew. The Crown did not say exactly why.
Agnew, who was 35 when charged in January, appeared in court remotely from custody on Thursday, and Burke told the judge that Gorham had asked to be removed from the file.
Poirier LeBlanc said the case now goes to the Court of King's Bench, and no next date has been assigned yet.
On Jan. 20, RCMP announced Mark Elley had been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, and two days later, Agnew was charged.
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