Prelim set in Lincoln Road homicide case
Hearing to test evidence against Joshua Raines, 47, and Samantha Mary Butler, 21, in fatal shooting of Lucas Richard Solomon Polchies scheduled to begin in December
Two suspects in the shooting death of a Bilijk (Kingsclear) First Nation man will be proceeding to a preliminary inquiry late this year to determine if there’s sufficient evidence for a trial.
Joshua Christopher Raines, 47, of Route 565 in Holmesville, between Perth Andover and Florenceville-Bristol; and Samantha Mary Butler, 21, of Karen Drive in Rusagonis, appeared by telephone in Fredericton provincial court Thursday to schedule their preliminary inquiry.
They’re charged jointly with second-degree murder in the death of Lucas Richard Solomon Polchies, 27, in Lincoln on March 12.
Also appearing in court by phone Thursday was Gillex Lemieux, Butler’s defence counsel. Lawyer Alexandra Youssef appeared in person as an agent for Raines’ counsel, Nathan Gorham.
Youssef said the defence feels four days would be needed for the preliminary inquiry, and after comparing the availability of Crown and defence counsel, as well as witnesses, Judge Scott Brittain settled on Dec. 14, 15, 18 and Feb. 8 for the hearing.
A preliminary inquiry is held in more serious criminal cases to test key evidence to determine if it meets the threshold to justify a trial at a higher level of court.
Murder cases are automatically designated to go to trial before a jury at a superior level of court, and in New Brunswick, that would be the Court of King’s Bench.
Several members of Polchies’ family attended Thursday afternoon’s proceeding, several of them wearing shirts with the victim’s photo on them with the slogan “Justice for Lucas.”
In a news release issued March 13, the RCMP’s major crime unit reported that emergency personnel responded to the 2300 block of Route 102 in Lincoln at approximately 4:10 a.m. March 12 after receiving a report of a gunshot.
“When police arrived on the scene, it was confirmed that a 27-year-old man was injured due to a gunshot wound and was transported to hospital with what were believed to be serious, life-threatening injuries,” the release said.
That victim was later identified as Polchies, and he died from his injuries in hospital.
Raines and Butler are both in custody, and they’re subject to non-communication orders issued by the court, prohibiting them from contact with one another and with six other individuals: Patrick Harris, Victoria King, Abigail King, Tyler Sabattis, Bethany Paul and Hannah Kilfillen, all believed to be witnesses in the investigation.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.