Accused killer Luka Rocco Magnotta will stand trial on a first-degree murder charge in the death of Chinese student Lin Jun, a Quebec judge ruled Friday.
Judge Lori-Renee Weitzman said enough evidence was presented during Magnotta’s preliminary hearing to proceed with a trial, which is expected to begin sometime next year.
Prosecutor Louis Bouthillier said the Crown is “more than happy” with Weitzman's ruling.
"I wish to salute the hard work done by the police officers in this case,” he told reporters outside court. “They worked very hard and there's still a lot of work to be done. We're looking forward to the trial in 2014."
Magnotta, 30, is accused of killing and dismembering 33-year-old Lin in Montreal last May. He was arrested in Berlin after a brief manhunt and extradited to Canada.
Earlier Friday, the defence argued that if the case goes to trial, Magnotta’s charge should be downgraded to second-degree murder.
Magnotta’s legal team presented no witnesses during the preliminary hearing, while the Crown brought 32 witnesses to the stand.
All evidence presented during the preliminary hearing is subject to a publication ban.
Magnotta has also been charged with committing an indignity to a body, mailing obscene and indecent material and harassing Prime Minister Stephen Harper and members of Parliament – a charge related to the mailing of body parts to political offices in Ottawa.
At the beginning of the legal proceedings against him last year, Magnotta pleaded not guilty to all charges.
