Accused killer Robert Ladoucuer, facing first- and second-degree murder charges in the deaths and dismemberment of two homeless men connected to a local encampment, made his first in-person court appearance Wednesday in Barrie since he was arrested almost three months ago.
According to Barrie police, David “Kyle” Cheesequay, 41, and William “Blake” Robinson, 45, died about six months apart earlier this year.
Police said they had crime scenes at the former homeless encampment near Anne and Victoria streets in Barrie, another in Huntsville in a rural area about 140 kilometres north of Barrie, and a third being a residence at an unspecified location in northern Simcoe County.
Ladouceur also faces a string of weapons, assault and fleeing police charges stemming from his arrest on Aug. 2 in Midland that had totalled 31 in all. The murder charges, including committing an indignity to a human body, were added about two weeks later, as part of a 19-count information.
Crown attorney Mike Flosman told Ontario Court Justice Robert Gattrell that his office has withdrawn certain charges to put all allegations into one global indictment. As of Thursday morning, the charges that are to be withdrawn had not been filed with the court clerk’s office.
Wearing both arm and leg shackles, Ladouceur, 52, had on a short-sleeved, collared shirt, a marked change from his previous appearances, which were all by video while clad in a jail-issued orange jumpsuit.
His short-sleeved shirt exposed Ladouceur’s heavily inked arms, which has earned the Lafontaine-area native the nickname “Tattoo Rob.”
Ladouceur’s lawyer, Eginhart Ehlers, had earlier confirmed that he has received his first significant disclosure from the Crown, totalling more than 2,000 pages stored on a thumb drive he had tucked in the breast pocket of his suit jacket.
Inside the courtroom, Ehlers spoke on Ladouceur’s behalf and Gattrell put the case over to Friday. Oct. 31 in virtual remand court.
Both Flosman and Ehlers acknowledged that another significant batch of disclosure awaits in the coming weeks and months. A preliminary hearing in the case is still many months away, potentially more than a year.
Ehlers did not raise the unlikely prospect of making a bail application for Ladouceur, which will have to take place before a Superior Court judge.
Ladouceur spent much of his time in the prisoner’s dock scanning the courtroom, squinting his eyes as he did. He seemed particularly interested in a woman seated in the body of the court, to whom he attempted to wave, but was prevented from fully raising his arms by the heavy restraints.
Ladouceur, who will turn 53 next month, looked considerably older; his normally closely shaved hair was longer than in previous court appearances and his various social-media photos.
Approached later outside court, the woman, who declined to give her name, confirmed to BarrieToday that she knew Ladouceur and both alleged victims, but said she was uncomfortable commenting further on what she knew about the case beyond cursory remarks.
“'Cheese' was nice guy,” she said, before adding that Robinson “did not deserve what happened to him.”
The woman also had kind words for Ladouceur.
“He kept us all fed over there,” she said, in reference to the sprawling homeless encampment that has since been dismantled.
None of the allegations against Ladoceur have been tested in court.