Second-degree murder trial moved from Cranbrook to Kamloops due to 'courthouse suitability concerns'

Murder trial on the move

Photo: KTW file

Courtroom 5D at the Kamloops Law Courts, where Mitchell Earl McIntyre's second-degree murder trial is expected to take place following a successful change of venue application.

An accused killer from the Kootenays will stand trial in Kamloops rather than Cranbrook so he can be closer to his jail cell.

Mitchell Earl McIntyre is charged with one count of second-degree murder, accused of killing Julia Howe, who was the girlfriend of his landlord, on Feb. 6, 2022, in Creston.

McIntyre is being held in custody at Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre. He asked to have his trial moved to Kamloops to avoid hours spent on the highway and nights spent in an uncomfortable RCMP jail cell in Cranbrook.

He also has health issues and receives regular care at KRCC.

McIntyre applied for the change of venue only after trying to attend a Cranbrook hearing virtually from KRCC. The jail was unable to provide him with a proper chair or table and he complained of back pain, among other issues.

“Counsel for Mr. McIntyre says the courthouse suitability concerns are acute in the case at bar,” B.C. Supreme Court Justice Paul Riley said in his decision.

“The facilities in Cranbrook are entirely unsuitable for an in-custody trial proceeding expected to run some eight weeks in total. This will pose a genuine hardship for Mr. McIntyre.”

The Crown opposed the application on a number of grounds, including the added difficulty for witnesses and related costs holding the trial in Kamloops.

Riley granted the application. McIntyre’s voir dire got underway at the Kamloops Law Courts last week.