Legal arguments to begin for 4 girls accused in death of homeless Toronto man
Kenneth Lee is shown in a Toronto Police Service handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Toronto Police Service
Lawyers are set to begin legal arguments today for four girls scheduled to face trial this year over their alleged role in a deadly group attack on a homeless man in Toronto.
The teens are part of a group police allege swarmed and stabbed Kenneth Lee, a 59-year-old man who was living in the city’s shelter system, in December 2022.
Eight girls between the ages of 13 and 16 were arrested in the hours after Lee’s death.
All of them were charged with second-degree murder, and four have since pleaded guilty to lesser charges of manslaughter or assault.
A judge-only trial is scheduled this month for two of the remaining girls on charges of second-degree murder.
The other two are set to be tried by a judge and jury in May, one for second-degree murder and the other for manslaughter.
All four of the girls headed to trial were initially supposed to have their case decided by a jury, but two of them recently switched to a judge-alone trial after the Crown and judge agreed to a request from their lawyers.
The cases have been split into two trials due to scheduling issues.
None of the accused can be identified because they are underage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2025.
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