By Tim Petruk, Kamloops This Week
A B.C. Supreme Court judge in Kamloops has agreed to separate the trials of two alleged killers accused of gunning down a man in a Salmon Arm schoolyard more than seven years ago.
The two accused, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, had been slated to stand trial together in front of a jury beginning on June 6.
In court Wednesday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Sheri Donegan sided with defence lawyers and ruled the two should be tried separately.
She did not give reasons for her decision.
Tyler Myers was shot to death in a park outside Salmon Arm’s Bastion elementary on Nov. 21, 2008. The 22-year-old’s body was found the following day.
Four years later, a 20-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman were arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Because both were youths at the time of the alleged offence, neither can be named publicly.
At the time of their arrests, police said both suspects were known to Myers.
Pre-trial proceedings have been ongoing in Kamloops for more than a year.
The five-week trial for the male accused will begin on June 6, with jury selection set for next week.
Lawyers will meet next week to begin discussing possible dates for the female’s trial.