Accused in Wolseley death released on bail

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This article was published 27/08/2017 (2679 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The woman accused of killing her neighbour in Wolseley has been released on bail awaiting trial.

Brenda Lee Schuff was granted bail Aug. 23 after a lengthy hearing in front of Court of Queen’s Bench Justice James Edmond. She’s charged with second-degree murder in the death of 54-year-old Judy Kenny, who was found dead just after 3 a.m. April 10 in her home in the 400 block of Camden Place.

Details of the bail hearing are covered under a publication ban, but Schuff was released on strict conditions, including a curfew, under supervision of the Elizabeth Fry Society.

The courtroom was packed with supporters for Schuff during her bail hearing, defence lawyer Matthew Gould said.

“A bail application is not a trial. We’re not there to test out the evidence. It’s not about what people think or if it looks good or if it looks bad. The question is: is she going to show up in court, is she going to get in trouble again?” and what is the impact on the public confidence in the administration of justice, Gould said.

“She’s not going home to Wolseley,” Gould said, saying her bail plan was “extraordinarly thorough.”

“It’s always difficult to get someone out on bail when they’re charged with murder,” because the onus is on the defence to make the case that she should be released, he added, but in this case they were successful.

No preliminary hearing dates have been set, but Gould said the second-degree murder case against Schuff is “absolutely being contested” and is expected to go to trial.

Schuff was 44 when she was arrested within minutes of the police discovering Kenny’s body. At the time, the Winnipeg Police Service said an “edged weapon” had been used against Kenny but the police service could not publicly point to a motive for the homicide. Schuff lived down the street from Kenny’s home, and a friend previously described the accused killer as “a beautiful lady who wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Those in the quiet neighbourhood who knew both women previously told the Free Press they didn’t know of any animosity between neighbours and called the killing “bizarre.”

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay