Crown withdraws charges against Sudbury woman accused of murdering her husband

Lawyers on Sudbury murder case sentencing Lawyers from both sides of a northern Ontario murder case that tore a family apart speak out after sentencing in a Sudbury court.

In a shocking turn of events, murder charges against Melissa Sheridan, a Sudbury woman accused in her husband's death, have been withdrawn.

Sheridan, of Sudbury, and Kerry Burke had been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Brant Burke, 56.

Ontario Provincial Police were called to Point Grondine Reserve on Oct. 25, 2020, where Brant Burke's remains were found on a trail within the Wiikwemkoong First Nation territory.

An autopsy revealed a firearms-related injury to be the cause of death.

Kerry Burke, who admitted to murdering his younger brother, pleaded guilty in May of this year to second-degree murder. He is awaiting his sentence.

Kerry Burke was a key witness in the Crown's case against Sheridan. But her lawyer, Michael Lacy, told CTV news the Crown withdrew the murder charge against her because there was no reasonable prospect of getting a conviction.

Lacy said the Crown decided its primary witness was not credible and they couldn't rely on his evidence.

CTV News will have more on this story Wednesday.