Marissa Shephard's trial in slaying of Baylee Wylie to start next February

Marissa Shephard will go on trial for murder next Feb. 12 in the killing of Baylee Wylie at a Moncton triplex 2½ years ago.

Shephard, 21, who has waived her right to a preliminary hearing, appeared Monday in a Moncton courtroom.

More than three months were set aside for her trial by judge and jury on charges of first-degree murder and arson with disregard for human life.  

The trial is scheduled to run from Feb. 12 to May 18, although Shephard's defence lawyer, Gilles Lemieux, said after court that jury trials tend to follow their own time lines.

Shephard has been in custody since her arrest early in March 2016, after eluding police for more than two months.

The body of the 18-year-old Wylie was found in a burnt-out tri-plex unit by Moncton firefighters responding to a call in December 2015.

A few days later, police arrested 19-year-old Devin Morningstar. He is serving a life sentence for murder, with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Police issued a Canada-wide warrant for Tyler Noel and Marissa Shephard shortly after.

Noel went on the run but was captured by police in Elgin after a car chase in January 2016. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and will be sentenced in July.

Shephard was arrested at a Moncton motel in March 2016 and has remained in custody ever since.

The court plans to set a date for a pre-trial conference in June.

A voire dire is scheduled for September to discuss details surrounding the trial.

When the proceedings ended, Shephard nodded at her lawyer and was taken from the room.