A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.
Jeremy Skibicki has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Morgan Harris, Rebecca Contois, Marcedes Myran, and a fourth unidentified woman who has been given the name Buffalo Woman or Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe.
On Tuesday, Skibicki’s lawyers said the count related to Buffalo Woman should be quashed due to the fact her body has not been found and she has not been identified.
His lawyers said this information should make the count a “nullity” or legally void.
After listening to the arguments from both the defence and Crown, Court of King’s Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal dismissed the motion, saying the “count is not a nullity.”
A partial publication ban was put in place allowing information about the motion to be shared, but preventing any evidence discussed from being shared.
Skibicki has pleaded not guilty to all four first-degree murder counts.
Contois’ remains were found in the Brady Landfill in June 2022, and it’s believed the remains of Myran and Harris are in the Prairie Green Landfill. It is not known where Buffalo Woman’s remains are.
In March, the federal and provincial governments reached an agreement to commit $20 million each to fund a search of Prairie Green.
Skibicki’s trial is expected to get underway at the end of the month.