Attorneys for the man accused in the death of 22-year-old Taylor Marshall are seeking a change of venue outside of Sault Ste. Marie for the eventual jury trial.
On Wednesday, an eight-week trial starting on Jan. 6, 2026 was scheduled in a Sault Ste. Marie courtroom for Steven Jones. He is facing a murder charge for the Sept. 7, 2023 killing of Marshall and an attempted murder charge for a brutal boardwalk assault that left Liam Frenette with serious injuries.
The allegations against Jones have not been tested in court, and he is considered innocent unless proven guilty.
Jones did not appear in court, but Rebecca SIlver, a defence attorney for Furgiuele Law, said a one-day pre-trial motion would need scheduled for her client prior to the trial date.
Justice Michael Varpio was told that motion would be for a change of venue. If successful, the trial would be held in a jurisdiction outside of Sault Ste. Marie.
A July 31 date was set by Varpio to set an eventual date for that motion.
Jones was arrested near the scene of the boardwalk stabbing shortly after it occurred on the afternoon of Sept. 7. A week later, on Sept. 14, Insp. Brent Duguay of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service told media that police linked Jones to Marshall's murder after discovering evidence that placed him "at or near" her John Street home before his arrest.