Toronto Homicide is indicating that the upgrade of the charge to first-degree murder against Tess Richey’s accused killer came because of new evidence.
The original second-degree charge suggests investigators felt Richey’s killing was likely a crime of opportunity. An officer close to the case has told CTV Toronto that 21-year-old Kalen Schlatter is not cooperating with investigators and has yet to make a statement.
Schlatter is accused of strangling Richey and has had the charge against him changed to first-degree murder, although he has not yet been formally arraigned. Yesterday, Schlatter appeared in court via video and was remanded into custody until April 23.
To qualify as first-degree murder under the Criminal Code of Canada, there must be planning and deliberation, but it does not have to be a significant time period for the planning. Police have said that Richey and Schlatter met for the first time the night she was strangled and her body was left in an outdoor stairwell in Toronto’s Village last November.
