The two people charged in the death of Jamie Leard appeared briefly via video conference in a Moncton courtroom on Wednesday.
Neither Sean Patterson nor Henry Pottie had consulted counsel before appearing separately in court to set a date for a preliminary inquiry.
Judge Luc Labonté asked to clear the court twice, so each man could speak with the legal aid lawyer on duty. Afterwards, Patterson and then Pottie asked for more time in order to apply to legal aid for representation. They will return to court on July 7th to set a date for a preliminary enquiry. In the meantime, the two will remain in custody.
Patterson and Pottie are charged with the first degree murder of Jamie Leard on May 25 in Upper Cape, about halfway between Port Elgin and Cape Tormentine.
Police had originally believed Leard was last seen on May 26, but have since updated their statement, saying they now believe Leard was killed on May 25.
Police have yet to identify remains found in the course of their investigation into Leard’s disappearance, and are now waiting on results of DNA testing for a positive identification.
37-year-old Pottie and 28-year-old Patterson were originally charged on Sunday, with renewed paperwork on Wednesday.
The judge told Pottie and Patterson that the charge of first degree murder would come with an automatic judge and jury trial.
Both Pottie and Patterson have no contact orders in place for a list of five people, including each other.