Magnotta preliminary hearing expected to wrap soon
Posted April 9, 2013 9:41 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MONTREAL (NEWS1130) – A preliminary hearing in the case of a man accused of killing and dismembering a Chinese student is expected to wrap up soon.
After closing arguments, a Quebec judge will have to decide whether Luka Magnotta’s case should be sent to trial.
Magnotta, 30, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of engineering student Jun Lin.
Magnotta has pleaded not guilty and opted for trial before a judge and jury, but a trial likely won’t be heard until next year.
One of his lawyers told the court yesterday that if Magnotta is ordered to stand trial, it should be on a charge of second-degree murder and not first-degree.
Luc Leclair says he intends to make final arguments to that effect later this week.