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Giesbrecht pleads not guilty in judge-only murder trial

Burns Lake resident Albert Giesbrecht has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder, in his trial that began on Jan. 14 in the Supreme Court in Smithers.
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Albert Giesbrecht faces a murder charge in his trial at the Supreme Court in Smithers. (Lakes District News file photo)

Burns Lake resident Albert Giesbrecht has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder, in his trial that began on Jan. 14 in the Supreme Court in Smithers.

The trial is expected to run until Jan. 25, then take a break and resume for Feb. 4-22, Dan McLaughlin, communications counsel with the BC Prosecution Service told Lakes District News.

The case is being tried by a Supreme Court Judge alone.

Giesbrecht, 67, faces a first-degree murder charge in connection with the death of Raymond George Bishop, who was found dead on May 18, 2017 south of Francois Lake.

Bishop was 59 years old.

His release from detention on bail in November 2017 was protested by about two dozen local residents, before he was re-arrested the next month.

LOOK BACK: Albert Giesbrecht’s bail hearing set for February