The man accused of killing 22-year-old Taylor Marshall made a brief appearance by video in bail court this morning on that charge.
Steven Jones, 25, was already in custody at the Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre (ATRC) for attempted murder in relation to a Sept. 7 stabbing on the city’s boardwalk. He was additionally charged Thursday with the Sept. 7 murder of Marshall and made his first bail appearance on that second charge this morning.
The charges against Jones have not yet been proven in court.
The accused appeared mostly expressionless in the video transmitted to the court from ATRC. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit. He had long dark wavy hair and a moustache. A number of small tattoos could be seen on his forearms.
SooToday is publishing artist Drew Armstrong's interpretation of Jones’ bail court appearance. Police have asked for surveillance images as part of their investigation.
In an interview on Thursday, Marshall's mother told SooToday she had been shown a photograph of Jones.
Details of evidence or testimony heard during the bail hearing are covered under a publication ban.
The Crown is not consenting to Jones’ release and, because he is standing accused of murder, the matter calls for automatic detention with a reverse onus on the accused to prove why they should not be detained.
Jones’ next appearance on the first-degree murder charge is next Thursday. He is also scheduled to have a bail hearing on Monday in relation to the attempted murder charge for the boardwalk assault.
In a press conference held Thursday, Insp. Brent Duguay, of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service, told media that police linked Jones to the murder after discovering evidence that placed him ‘at or near’ the John Street scene after his arrest at the boardwalk on Sept. 7.
“Both of those incidents are believed to be random acts of violence and we believe to be only one perpetrator involved,” said Duguay during the press conference.