Trial dates set for 3 girls facing second-degree murder, manslaughter charges in death of Toronto man Kenneth Lee
Posted July 3, 2024 12:12 pm.
Last Updated July 3, 2024 12:13 pm.
Trial dates have been set for three of the four girls who pled not guilty in the 2022 swarming death of 59-year-old Kenneth Lee in Toronto’s downtown core.
Two of the girls were 14 years old at the time of the incident and the other two were 16.
Three of them will stand trial for second-degree murder, while the fourth will be tried for manslaughter.
The date for the second-degree murder trials for two girls who were 16 at the time has been set for Jan 13, 2025. The lawyer for one of these girls has filed a constitutional challenge which will be heard in Superior Court between November 4 and 6.
The girl accused of manslaughter, who was 14 at the time, will be tried in court on May 5, 2025.
The trial date for the third girl accused of second-degree murder, who was 14 at the time, is yet to be determined.
The dates are still subject to change and details will be confirmed on the next court date on August 21.
The remaining four of the total eight girls involved entered guilty pleas over the last two months.
Three of them pled guilty to manslaughter. Two of them were 13 and one of them was 14 at the time of Lee’s death. The fourth girl, who was 13 at the time, pled guilty to assault causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon.
All eight involved were initially charged with second-degree murder.
Police said the teen girls met on social media and assembled in downtown Toronto, where they were first involved in another criminal but “non-assaultive” incident.
It is alleged that Lee, who was living in the city’s shelter system, died after he was swarmed and stabbed by the group of girls.
The accused have not been identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) provisions because they are all under 18. The YCJA states that the fact that youth are still maturing must be accounted for in the prosecution of crimes. It also emphasizes rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
With files from The Canadian Press
