MONTREAL – Accused murderer Luka Rocco Magnotta appeared in a Montreal court on Thursday afternoon.
He was last in court in February, when the judge overseeing the case of the alleged killer ruled that he would accept a Crown motion to have witnesses questioned in France and Germany.
READ MORE: Magnotta case: judge rules that Crown can go to Europe to get evidence
One of the Crown’s key witnesses has passed away.
Eric Schorer was the superintendent at 5720 Decarie, where Magnotta lived and where alleged murder took place and he testified at Magnotta’s preliminary inquiry last year.
Crown prosecutor Louis Bouthillier filed a motion on Thursday, asking the court to consider using the evidence from the preliminary inquiry during the upcoming trial.
Arguments for that motion will take place at a future date.
Defence attorney Luc Leclair also presented a motion to court.
He would like the judge to issue a court order to allow him to enter the building where the alleged murder took place. Leclair told the court he wants to speak with potential witnesses.
READ MORE: New tenants call Luka Magnotta’s old apartment home one year after killing
Wearing a grey shirt, Magnotta sat in a prisoner’s box in the packed courtroom. He avoided eye contact with everyone but appeared to be alert.
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The pretrial hearing is expected to resume on Friday morning.
Magnotta’s first-degree murder trial is set to begin Sept. 8 and expected to last between six to eight weeks.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges he faces.
The self-described porn star is accused of killing 33-year-old Concordia University computer science student Lin Jun in May 2012.
He then allegedly posted a horrifying and graphic video onine that depicted a person killing a man and then committing gross indignities to his naked body and sending body parts to various locations, including the national headquarters of the Conservative Party of Canada.
The 31-year-old left then Canada, and went to France and then Germany, where he was arrested in June 2012.
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