13-year-old boy charged with murder makes brief video court appearance, police ask for public's help
Police also asking drivers who may have been in the area Tuesday to check dashcams
A 13-year-old boy charged with first-degree murder in rural southwestern Ontario made a brief court appearance via video on Friday.
Ontario Provincial Police are also appealing to the public for information as they search for clues into what led to the death of a young person a week ago.
Wearing a burgundy T-shirt, the boy swivelled in a chair during a Goderich court video appearance from a youth detention facility. The boy appeared to have a bandaged right pinky finger and his right ring finger was in a larger cast.
The boy's father and grandmother also attended the appearance, court heard.
Investigators want to speak with anyone who was in the area of Holmesville Public School on Cut Line Road between noon and 4:15 p.m. ET on July 2.
"Motorists who travelled through the area during this time are also asked to check their dashcams for any footage that may assist with the investigation," OPP said.
The boy was charged after police were called to Cut Line Road between Parr Line and Tipperary Line in Central Huron. One young person was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead, OPP said.
The victim is a girl of similar age to the accused, residents of Holmesville told CBC News.
On Thursday, police gathered evidence around an abandoned elementary school.
The boy's identity, as well as the victim's and any witnesses, are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The boy's lawyer, Robert Morris, scheduled another court appearance for this Thursday, via Zoom. The boy remains in custody.
The incident, and the young age of the boy charged, has rocked the small rural community about 90 kilometres north of London, where neighbours told CBC News there is disquiet and unease.