Melinda Gladys Charles
The man accused of killing Melinda Gladys Charles will have a preliminary hearing at Deschambault Lake this fall.
Daniel Moses Ballantyne, in his mid-40s, is accused of second-degree murder of Charles and improperly interfering with a human body.
The 47-year-old Stanley Mission woman was reported missing two days after she was last seen in the Deschambault Lake area in late March, with missing persons websites saying “her family is concerned for her well-being.”
Those concerns were confirmed on March 27, when Charles’ body was found.
Daniel Moses Ballantyne was arrested a day before Charles’ Stanley Mission funeral, and has been in custody since that time. RCMP say the two were known to each other, but have never commented on the nature of their relationship.
Now, Ballantyne’s preliminary hearing is set, with a Deschambault Lake judge to determine whether or not there is enough evidence to proceed to trial.
In the case that they do move ahead, Ballantyne has chosen to be tried by judge and jury.