New trial date set for man accused of killing B.C. teen Marissa Shen
A new trial date has been set for a man accused of killing a 13-year-old girl in Burnaby nearly six years ago.
Marissa Shen was last seen alive on July 18, 2017, at a local Tim Hortons. Five hours after that sighting, her body was found in Burnaby's Central Park.
Ibrahim Ali was arrested more than a year later and charged with first-degree murder.
The trial had already been postponed twice by the time it was slated to begin in January, only to be rescheduled once more due to a large number of pre-trial applications, according to the B.C. Prosecution Service.
However, jury selection is now underway at B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, and the BCPS confirmed that the trial is scheduled to begin on April 5.
B.C.'s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has described the case as the biggest it has worked on in its history.
According to the RCMP, there were initially 2,000 persons of interest in the case, and Ali did not become a suspect until two weeks before his arrest.
Police have not revealed what evidence put him on their radar.
Ali, a Syrian national who arrived in Canada just a few months before the killing, was 28 years old at the time of Shen's death and has no previous criminal record.
Heated protests have erupted outside the court house during a number of his previous court appearances, with some individuals seemingly focused on turning Shen’s death into a larger debate about Canada’s immigration system.
Ali has been in Custody since his arrest in 2018.
The trial is expected to run through to June 30.
With files from CTV Vancouver’s Lisa Steacy.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
B.C. man fighting for refund after finding someone living at Whistler vacation rental
Edwin Mostered spent thousands of dollars booking a vacation home in Whistler, B.C., for a group skiing trip earlier this year – or so he thought.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, U.S. officials warn
U.S. officials worry the next recession could be intensified by a cascading series of failures in the mortgage industry caused by crashing home prices, frozen financial markets and soaring delinquencies.