Suspect in human remains case appears in court
Posted Feb 1, 2013 05:15:43 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A 37-year-old Kitchener man has been formally charged with Waterloo Region’s first homicide of 2013.
Stephen Johnson appeared in Provincial Court Thursday afternoon.
Waterloo Regional Police arrested him early Thursday morning at the Knight’s Inn.
Defense attorney Craig Parry was granted his request for a publication ban of the court proceedings.
Johnson is charged with first-degree murder and indignity to a human body after human remains were found Saturday morning in a dumpster.
Citizens found the torso of 24-year-old Kelsey Felker behind an apartment building on Frederick Street.
Parry says, “No one can make any decisions on how to move forward in a case like this, whether it’s the Crown or defense, until everyone knows what the evidence is. Then decisions are made.”
As the hearing was concluding, a man close to the victim stood up and yelled, “Rot in hell, buddy!”
Regional Police spokesperson Olaf Heinzel tells 570 News at this point in the investigation, they believe the victim and accused knew each other.
Heinzel says the investigation continues but they do not expect to make any more arrests in connection with this case.
They ask anyone with information to come forward.
Meantime, police are being tight lipped about a search carried out yesterday afternoon in a wooded area near River Road and Old Chicopee Drive.
CTV reports the search included police dogs and officers were toting biohazard bags as they left the area.
Police won’t say if it is related to the murder investigation, only it was part of an on-going investigation.
