A man charged with the second degree murder of a Stettler man made a brief court appearance in Stettler provincial court on Thursday.
Wearing an orange prisoner jump suit, John Roland Savage, 51, appeared via CCTV from Edmonton Remand Centre.
Defence lawyer Daniel Wilson, acting as agent for Red Deer lawyer Jason Snider, requested an adjournment until May 10. Crown prosecutor Blair Brandon asked that it be adjourned until May 24 saying he needed time to go over disclosure he is expecting to get the first week of May from major crimes.
Judge W.A. Skinner said since there’s no court in Stettler May 24 that he will set the matter over for May 10 to enter a plea.
Savage is also charged with seven counts of failing to comply with release conditions, theft under $5,000 and possession of a controlled substance.
James Hulkovich, 70, was found dead in his Stettler home on April 6.
RCMP Major Crimes Unit (MCU) charged Savage with second-degree murder on April 10.
Stettler RCMP confirmed that Savage was first arrested in Stettler the morning of April 6 on an unrelated incident and taken to the Stettler Hospital where he was placed under watch by hospital security, and fled sometime that afternoon.