After almost three and a half years and four pre-trials, a man accused of murdering another man in Tilbury in 2023 will have another pre-trial.
Ken Baylis, 37, will return to Chatham Assignment Court on August 4 to set another date for his fifth pre-trial.
On Monday, Justice Maria Carroccia told the court the time limit to hold a trial for Baylis passed in October 2025 and emphasized once again that delay is a concern.
Trial time limits, also called Jordan dates, restrict how long the Crown has to conclude a criminal trial before the charges can be permanently stayed or dismissed due to unreasonable delay.
The case had been meandering through the Ontario Court of Justice in Chatham and Monday was the case's first day before the Superior Court of Justice.
A focus hearing to be held in October 2026 and preliminary hearings to be held in November and December 2026 were cancelled on Monday.
Baylis was set to plead guilty in November and December 2025. However, the defence told the Chatham court in January 2026 that more time was needed to complete the resolution and talk with Baylis over the holidays about some unresolved issues.
At previous court appearances, the defence had promised a resolution was near following lengthy discussions to resolve the case between the defence and prosecution.
Delay has been a concern at several points during the case because mental health assessments to determine if Baylis was criminally responsible were postponed several times.
Baylis was charged with second-degree murder in April 2023 after Daniel Marchand, 45, was reported missing and later found dead at a home on Dufferin Avenue in Tilbury.
Chatham-Kent police previously reported that a post-mortem examination showed that the cause of death was determined to be homicide.
The case is under a publication ban, and evidence cannot be reported.
