Gabriel Klein speaks for 1st time in Chilliwack courtroom

Gabriel Klein, the man charged in the Abbotsford stabbing death of 13-year-old Letisha Reimer, appeared in court this morning rocking back and forth and biting his nails.

Wearing a red sweater and pants, the 21-year-old was told there is a defence lawyer willing to take his case, which is being sent back down to Provincial Court.

"I don't know what that means," Klein told the court, after learning his case would be sent back to an Abbotsford court.

Before and after Klein's appearance, observers in the courtroom were cleared as he was placed in his seat. Clearing court watchers is an unusual occurrence, usually reserved for cases when there is a potential risk.

This is Klein's fourth appearance on a charge of second-degree murder after a violent attack at Abbotsford Senior Secondary on Nov. 1.

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The 21-year-old is not certified under the Mental Health Act and is held in jail, but he was unresponsive and uncooperative in three previous court appearances.

At his last court appearance Klein sat wrapped in a blanket and slumped in a wheel chair. The judge addressed him three times but Klein refused to answer.

The Crown has alleged that Klein is intentionally refusing to co-operate to avoid the legal proceedings. At the previous appearance a lawyer told the judge that Klein was "making gestures that raise questions about his mental health."

In addition to the murder charge, he is also charged with aggravated assault in the stabbing of Reimer's 14-year-old friend, whose identity is protected by a publication ban.

Klein is expected to appear next in an Abbotsford Provincial Court on Dec. 1, and have a lawyer by that time.