HALIFAX -- A Nova Scotia judge has committed two people accused in the death of Loretta Saunders to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder.
Provincial court Judge Anne Derrick said Friday that there was enough evidence to send Blake Leggette, 26, and his 28-year-old girlfriend, Victoria Henneberry, to trial.
Saunders, a 26-year-old Inuit woman from Labrador, was reported missing from her Halifax apartment in February.
Her body was found in a wooded area off the Trans-Canada Highway in New Brunswick about two weeks later.
Crown attorney Cristine Driscoll said outside court that she expects the trial will last up to six weeks.
"The file was well-investigated," said Driscoll. "We have evidence that we'll feel comfortable putting forward."
Saunders was a student at Saint Mary's University in Halifax who focused her studies on missing and murdered aboriginal women.
More than a dozen of her family members and friends attended the week-long preliminary hearing that wrapped up a week ago.
Many wore T-shirts bearing the words "speak the truth" and a picture of Saunders and her father.
Nine witnesses testified at the hearing, which was marked by angry outbursts and loud sobs. However, all evidence presented is banned from publication, which is typical for this type of hearing.
At one point, an uncle of Saunders was removed from the courtroom after he lunged in the direction of the two accused.
The case will move to Nova Scotia Supreme Court on Aug. 28 for a pre-trial hearing.
