There's a new twist in a high-profile Chatham murder trial.
The issue of where to hold the trial of David Thomas seems to have been resolved now that a new Crown has been assigned to the case.
Thomas' Toronto lawyers have been arguing over where the trial should take place, but told the court in Chatham on Thursday that they're willing to put the venue challenge on the back burner.
The defence previously preferred the Chatham trial to be transferred to London to reduce their travel, but the prosecution wanted it held in Windsor. That issue seems to have been put to bed, now that a Crown Attorney from Chatham has taken over the case.
The 10-week trial is set to begin in November and is likely to continue into 2027 due to scheduling conflicts between the prosecution and the defence.
Chatham-Kent Crown Attorney Rob MacDonald told the court that his office is in a "real crunch" with the retirements of many senior staff and a shortage of available Crown attorneys because of a heavy caseload.
Both sides in the first-degree murder trial have been trying to set trial dates for weeks, and that effort continues. Both sides return to court on December 31 to once again try to finalize trial dates.
Thomas remains in custody, charged with first-degree murder in connection with a fatal fire in Chatham in 2022 that killed his daughter.
Thomas was arrested in Fanny Bay, British Columbia May 2024 and was also charged with five counts of arson-disregard for human life, indignity to a body, and arson for a fraudulent purpose.
The charges stem from an overnight house fire on June 25, 2022, at 149 Edgar Street in Chatham, where 22-year-old Bayli Sellars was found deceased.
