WESTLOCK – Two of the four youth charged in connection with the brutal assault and near-fatal attack of an 18-year-old woman near Long Island Lake last September pleaded not guilty in court on Jan. 8.
The two youths, who can’t be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, elected to be tried by judge and jury in the Court of King’s Bench. A preliminary hearing date is expected to be set on Jan. 22.
Defence counsel for a third youth involved in the case is in resolution discussions with the Crown, court heard.
A fourth youth remains at large and is the subject of a Canada-wide warrant.
All four youth face charges of attempted murder, robbery, and aggravated assault.
In December, Crown prosecutor Eric Mosley told the court that he had filed a Notice of Intention to seek an adult sentence for the youth under section 64(2) of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
One of the youth had been seeking bail and a show cause hearing was expected to be held on Jan. 8 but defence lawyer Sunny Anuebunwa told the court that the hearing wasn't proceeding. He didn't provide the court with a reason.
The charges against the four youth stem from an incident on Sept. 7, 2024, after they allegedly took the woman to a remote wooded area near Long Island Lake north of Westlock and suddenly attacked her in an attempt to kill her. They left her in the forest to die and a group of people camping on Crown land told Town and Country Today that they found the woman after she emerged from a ditch on a gravel road covered in blood and pleading for help. They took her to the nearby Long Island Lake campground. The group performed emergency first-aid on the woman at the campground while they waited for emergency personnel to arrive.
She was taken to Westlock hospital and then flown by STARS to an Edmonton hospital for further treatment. She suffered serious life-threatening injuries but survived the assault.
