Accused murderer Marissa Shephard's plea on assault charge postponed
Shephard, 21, was expected to enter plea Monday on charge of assaulting jail guard
A plea by accused murderer Marissa Shephard on an assault charge was postponed Monday when she appeared in Miramichi provincial court.
Shephard, 21, is accused of assaulting a correctional officer at the New Brunswick Women's Correctional Centre in Miramichi on July 28. She will return to court Jan. 23 to enter a plea and choose a mode of trial.
Inside the courtroom, Shephard's lawyer, Simon Wood, requested more time to review the case. Her lawyer had also asked for more time at Shephard's last court appearance, on Nov. 28,
She has been in custody since March 1, awaiting a preliminary inquiry on charges of first-degree murder and arson in connection with the death of Moncton teen Baylee Wylie last winter. That hearing begins May 1.
The body of Wylie, 18, was found in a burned-out triplex on Sumac Street in Moncton on Dec. 17, 2015. He had been bound in plastic wrap, severely beaten while tied to a chair, and stabbed up to 200 times.
Devin Morningstar, 19, was found guilty of first-degree murder and arson in Wylie's death last month after a jury deliberated for 21 hours over three days. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 11.
Shephard's co-accused, Tyler Noel, 19, is to be tried on charges of first-degree murder and arson in October 2017.
Shephard was arrested in Moncton on a Canada-wide warrant after she had managed to elude police for 10 weeks.