Tyler Murphy made a brief appearance in Moncton provincial court on Monday morning, but instead of discussing a date for a preliminary hearing, Murphy’s lawyer requested another four-week adjournment in the case. Murphy is charged with manslaughter in the stabbing death of another Sackville man, 44-year-old Shawn Mitton.
Defense lawyer Pierrette Allain asked the court for the extension so that she would have time to review disclosure from the Crown prosecutor which she had just received. “I dropped off my hard drive this morning and it’s being downloaded as we speak,” Allain told Judge Luc Labonté.
Labonté agreed to adjourn the matter until July 8. Murphy will remain in custody until then.
This is the second adjournment granted in order to wait for disclosure from the Crown.
Murphy was originally charged with second degree murder alongside his younger brother, Dylan Murphy. On March 27, 2024, the charge against Dylan was dropped, and the charge against Tyler Murphy was changed to manslaughter.
Shawn Mitton was found by police on the evening of March 16, lying on the side of Lorne Street in Sackville suffering from apparent stab wounds. The 44-year-old father of four was transported to hospital where he died as a result of his injuries.
Some of Mitton’s family members were in court on Monday.
According to his obituary, Mitton was “a family man who loved spending time with his sons.” Before he was killed, Mitton had recently moved his new upholstery business into a space on Main Street in Sackville.
