By Andrew Bates, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A 31-year-old man accused of manslaughter in the death of a 26-year-old woman in Musquash is getting two weeks to finalize plans to hire a lawyer.
Calvin Burns-Smith, of no fixed address, was due to appear for a bail hearing Monday on charges of manslaughter and indignity to remains. The New Brunswick RCMP said last week that they arrested Burns-Smith, who they identified as from Musquash, in connection with the death of Sarah Teakles, of Rothesay.
Police said Teakles was last seen April 14 in Musquash, a community 30 kilometres southwest of Saint John that is part of the Fundy Shores municipality. She was reported missing the next day. On April 17 teams with the RCMP’s major crime unit found her body in Maces Bay, according to a press release.
Burns-Smith, who is charged with manslaughter and indignity or interference with human remains in Teakles’ death, also faces threats charges dating to April 5 and April 17 in Saint John.
Saint John Police Force Det. Sgt. Matt Weir said Monday that Burns-Smith was arrested April 17 on the threats file. Weir said police responded to reports of two men arguing in the Spring Street area and learned that the argument allegedly involved threats “made toward a female at the scene.”
In the RCMP’s press release April 22, they said Burns-Smith was already in custody after his arrest by the SJPF when they formally arrested him on the manslaughter file.
On Monday, duty counsel lawyer Justin Gulliver said that Burns-Smith, who appeared by video, was going to reserve his right to a show-cause or bail hearing at a later date. He said that Burns-Smith is still in talks to hire a lawyer, and said that his client expected the court to have a letter with details on that.
Judge Lucie Mathurin said the court hadn’t received a letter, and Gulliver asked for the case to be adjourned for two weeks for time to work out the correspondence with the court.
Burns-Smith’s case was adjourned to May 12. He is in custody and has a no-contact order preventing him from contacting six individuals.
