A man has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of two boys — aged 10 and 17 — found in a Saint John, N.B., apartment last month.
He is also scheduled to undergo a mental assessment next week to determine if he is fit to stand trial.
The Saint John Police Force said Roman Kamyshnyy, 45, appeared remotely in court Thursday and has been remanded into custody. Previous releases indicated he was 46.
“The Saint John Police would like to thank the public for their tips during this investigation, as well as the members of the Kennebecasis Regional Police Force for their assistance,” police said in a Friday update.
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“Again, the Saint John Police sends out our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased at this most difficult time.”
Police were initially called to an apartment building on Skaling Court at about 7 a.m. on Jan. 29 and said they had to force their way into the unit.
They found the two boys dead, and a man with life-threatening injuries. He was taken to a hospital but remained under police custody there.
“The accused was known to the victims and the police have no further concerns for public safety,” police said at the time.
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Documents filed in court Thursday show Kamyshnyy remains in hospital where he is no longer in a coma and is able to respond to his name by moving his eyes but is unable to speak and does not have “full function.”
The documents say he looked up when the charges were read to him, but it was unclear whether he understood them.
Provincial court Judge Lucie Mathurin has asked for a mental assessment of Kamyshnyy by Saint John Regional Hospital by next week.
Two neighbours in the apartment building, who didn’t want to give their names due to the nature of the incident, told Global News they heard a commotion the morning of Jan. 29, which included yelling and slamming doors.
They said they didn’t realize how serious the situation was until police came and broke down the unit’s door. They also describe seeing blood in the hallway.
— with a file from The Canadian Press
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