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BC  

Murder conviction appeal

A lawyer for a man convicted of murdering three women and a teenage girl in central British Columbia goes before the Court of Appeal today asking to overturn the convictions.

Cody Legebokoff was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years by a Prince George judge in September 2014.

He was convicted of the first-degree murders of 15-year-old Loren Leslie, 23-year-old Natasha Montgomery and Jill Stuchenko and Cynthia Maas, who were both 35 at the time.

His lawyer Eric Gottardi has said the appeal would focus on two areas: his client's failed attempt to change the location of the trial to Vancouver and the question of fairness at trial.

Gottardi said the B.C. Supreme Court judge's written ruling contained disparaging comments about Legebokoff's defence lawyer at trial, prompting the fairness issue.

Court heard that a police officer pulled Legebokoff over for speeding and noticed blood on his face and clothing that turned out to be from his final victim, Loren Leslie, who was legally blind.



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