$1 million bail granted to Ont. man facing first-degree murder in death of father of four
Warning: Some readers may find the details in this article disturbing.
An Ontario man accused of killing a father of four whose remains were later discovered across parts of Simcoe County and Muskoka has been granted bail.
Tony Lucia of Woodbridge, Ont., had been behind bars since his September arrest in connection with Morris Conte's death in 2010.
Conte went missing 12 years ago after telling his family he was meeting a friend for coffee.
The Bolton man was 45 at the time of his death.
Police said his dismembered body parts were found in the Sugarbush area of Oro-Medonte, on Maplehurst Road in Lake of Bays, and on Stoneleigh Road in Bracebridge.
Investigators noted Conte's remains were easily found, saying what was done with his body could have been a message or warning to others.
They did not expand on those remarks.
In 2011, Lucia's son was arrested and charged with accessory after death and committing an indignity to a human body. Those charges were later withdrawn.
The OPP continues to offer a $50,000 reward for any information on the case.
Outside the Orangeville courthouse on Monday, Lucia's defence lawyer, Cosmo Galluzzo, said getting his client bail was "just step one."
"I mean, the judge heard all the arguments that was made, what the evidence against Mr. Lucia was, and we think he came to the right decision in having a release order," said Galluzzo.
Lucia's bail was set to over $1 million. He will be fitted for an ankle bracelet upon his release.
A publication ban limits the details that can be reported from the bail hearing.
The allegations against Lucia have not been tested in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
BREAKING Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
Plane overshoots runway at airport in St. John's, N.L., no injuries reported
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are headed to St. John's, N.L., after a plane overshot a runway at the city's airport this afternoon.
A teen was found buried in a basement in New York. An engraved ring helped police learn her identity two decades later
For more than two decades, the unknown victim was nicknamed "Midtown Jane Doe" because she was found in the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood of New York City. But this week, investigators finally revealed her identity.