Woman, 18, facing second-degree murder charge in Orillia man's death granted bail

Teen accused of murder granted bail Am 18-year-old girl accused in an Orillia murder case has been granted bail.

An 18-year-old woman facing a second-degree murder charge in connection with the death of an Orillia man in December walked out of a Barrie courthouse on Thursday morning.

Mackenzie Harrod was released on strict conditions, including house arrest, following a lengthy bail hearing. She had been in custody since her arrest late last year.

"Now that Ms. Harrod has been released, she looks forward to taking this to trial and to pleading not guilty," said Harrod's lawyer, Jeffrey Fisher.

Harrod is scheduled to make her first court appearance in mid-May since being granted bail.

Police say Harrod and her 36-year-old co-accused, Brian Lancaster, were arrested and charged after the body of 25-year-old Kyle Farrows was discovered in the alleyway of his Andrew Street South apartment in Orillia on December 14, 2023.

Unconfirmed reports from those in the area are that Farrows was stabbed multiple times. Police have yet to confirm the cause of death.

It also remains unclear what happened or how the victim and suspects knew each other.

Lancaster remains behind bars at Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene. He is scheduled to appear in court later this month.

Lancaster, of Orillia, has a lengthy criminal record, including assault and arson convictions.

In 2015, he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl during a home invasion. The court heard from a psychiatrist who testified Lancaster was a moderate to high risk to re-offend. He was handed a five-year sentence and granted day parole in 2019 followed by full parole in 2021, according to the Parole Board of Canada.

The allegations against Harrod and Lancaster have not been tested in court.

With files from CTV Videojournalist Mike Arsalides