Sudbury woman charged in murder of her estranged husband granted bail

Sudbury woman's murder charge dropped by Crown The first-degree murder charge has been dropped against the estranged wife of a man shot to death by his brother near Killarney in 2020.

Sudbury — A Sudbury woman accused of killing her estranged husband was granted bail Wednesday, under conditions described by both the defence and Crown as extremely restrictive.

There is a ban in place prohibiting the publication of any evidence presented at the hearing.

Melissa Sheridan, 39, is charged with first-degree murder in the Oct. 25 death of Brant Burke, 56. The victim's brother, Kerry Burke, 58, faces the same charge.

He was killed in the morning of Oct. 25 in what police describe as a "sudden death incident" on Point Grondine Reserve trail, off Highway 637, near Killarney.

A post-mortem examination was conducted in Sudbury and the cause of death was confirmed to be a result of a firearm-related injury. Kerry Burke was charged Nov. 24, while Sheridan was charged Nov. 25.

Sheridan was represented at Wednesday's hearing by lawyer Michael Lacy, while the Crown in the case is Robert Parsons.

At Wednesday's bail hearing, Justice David Nadeau said he was satisfied with the bail conditions, including $100,000 in bail, and having Sheridan wear an electronic device at all times, at her own expense. She also has four sureties in place and is not allowed to leave the residence unless accompanied by one of the sureties or for a medical emergency.

Kerry Burke's next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 7. None of the allegations has been proven in court.

A hearing Dec. 24 is also scheduled, as the Crown and defence begin the process of setting trial dates and dealing with other matters.