Preliminary inquiry dates have been set for a 21-year-old woman charged with second-degree murder in the October death of a man in Fort Liard.
Selena Lomen was arrested and charged after Fort Liard RCMP found the body of 34-year-old Danny Klondike at a home in the community in the early hours of Oct. 28.
Lomen, donning glasses and a grey sweatshirt, swaying back and forth in her chair, appeared in NWT territorial court Tuesday via video from North Slave Correctional Complex (NSCC) where she’s currently being held.
Lomen has elected to be tried by a judge and jury with the benefit of a preliminary inquiry -- a hearing to determine whether or not the Crown has enough evidence to bring the case to trial.
A half day of proceedings is set for June 10 in Hay River. If necessary, the hearing will continue between June 12 and June 13 in Fort Liard.
Judge Christine Gagnon inquired as to why Lomen was in custody at NSCC -- a male jail in Yellowknife -- and not at the female facility in Fort Smith.
Lomen’s lawyer, Peter Harte, couldn’t say for certain, but said he suspected she was transported to the jail due to safety concerns, outlined in a damning report from the Auditor General in 2015. The report noted safety and security flaws at the Fort Smith jail, and said inmates would benefit from a new facility.