Man accused of killing Tess Richey appears in court
CBC News | Posted: December 31, 2018 1:55 PM | Last Updated: December 31, 2018
Kalen Schlatter is charged with 1st-degree murder in death of woman who went missing in November 2017
A man accused of killing a young woman who went missing in Toronto's gay village last year appeared in court on Monday.
Kalen Schlatter, 22, has been charged with first-degree murder in the November 2017 death of Tess Richey.
Schlatter, wearing a blue suit with a white shirt, showed no emotion during the brief appearance on Monday morning.
After a short recess, a judicial pre-trial was set for Jan. 17.
Richey, 22, was reported missing on Nov. 25 after she spent a night out with a friend in the area of Church and Wellesley streets.
Her mother, who travelled from the family's home in North Bay, Ont., to search for her daughter, found Richey's body four days later in an outdoor stairwell. The area where her body was found was only steps away from where Richey was last seen.
Police have said Richey died of "neck compression."
Schlatter was initially charged with second-degree murder in February, but the charge was upgraded to first-degree murder in March when police said they found new evidence.
Schlatter was denied bail in the case in August.
According to police, Richey and Schlatter did not know each other before the night she disappeared. They said Richey met Schlatter on the street after she and her friend left a bar.
Investigators also have said surveillance video shows Schlatter and Richey together near the area where her body was found by her mother.
Police faced criticism for their failure to find Richey after her disappearance.
In June, two officers were charged with misconduct under the Police Services Act in connection with the case.