Revelstokian Brandon Cruickshank, 18, entered a not guilty plea to two counts of first degree murder in Cold Lake Provincial Court on Wednesday, Jan. 12.
The charges stem from an Oct. 14, 2010 shooting on a rural property near Cold Lake, Alta. that left two men dead. Jimmy Armillotta, 27, of Revelstoke and Fil Kedzior, 21, who has some connections to Revelstoke, were found dead on the scene after a neighbour reported a man with a gun outside the remote property in the early morning hours.
The court appearance was brief and procedural in nature. Cruickshank appeared via closed-circuit television, and said little other than state his name to the judge.
Cruickshank was represented by Defence lawyer Stephanie Oleksyn, and the Crown by Jeff Rudiak, the chief Crown prosecutor based in St. Paul, Alta.
At the appearance, a date was set for a four-day preliminary hearing, which will take place in Provincial Court in St. Paul, Alta., from Aug. 22–25.
A preliminary hearing is often referred to as a trial before the trial and determines if the Crown has sufficient evidence to justify a trial.