Oro-Medonte man to stand trial for second-degree murder

BARRIE, ONT. -

A senior citizen from Oro-Medonte accused in the 2019 death of a family friend is set to stand trial for second-degree murder.

Peter Vanderveen, a 72-year-old from Oro-Medonte, is charged in connection to the shooting death of 34-year-old Lee William Lackey on Jan. 30, 2019.

While initially charged with first-degree murder, a judge ruled Friday that Vanderveen would stand trial for second-degree murder, not convinced that the murder was planned.

"It was our position on the hearing that what happened was not intentional and that it was either accidental or what it is termed unlawful act manslaughter," says Bernard Cugelman, a lawyer representing Vanderveen.

When police responded to the scene in January 2019, witnesses said there was someone with a gun on the property, saying police called out for a man who was hiding in the bush before he was taken into custody.

At the time of his arrest, police confirmed that he and Lackey knew each other. Vanderveen's lawyer told CTV News Lackey was a family friend and said the event happened under 'highly unusual circumstances.'

Vanderveen spent a few months behind bars before he was granted strict bail in June 2019.

"The fact is that he had over 20 people crammed into a small courtroom that were from his community that were all there to support him and to say he was always somebody who would help out, and everybody was in shock when it turned out that this incident happened," says Cugelman.

There is a publication ban preventing any evidence heard in court Friday from being released.

Vanderveen will make his next court appearance on December 14 for judicial pre-trial.