Quinte Consolidated courthouse in Belleville. (Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber / Quinte News)
The 36-year-old Tweed man charged in connection with the death of 53-year-old Dartt MacPherson has had his murder charge reduced.
Samuel Koch was initially charged with first degree murder following MacPherson’s death in August 2017, but Hastings County Crown Attorney Lee Burgess has reduced the charge to second degree murder.
Wearing an orange Quinte Detention Centre t-shirt, Koch appeared by video on Thursday before Justice of the Peace Sam Cureatz.
A tall, thin Koch who has short slicked back brown hair and a trimmed beard didn’t speak. Instead, his lawyer Peter Zaduk consented to the initial charge being lowered.
Burgess told Quinte News based on the evidence he felt second degree murder was more appropriate.
Details of what happened haven’t been released. On August 12, Central Hastings OPP began an investigation after MacPherson was found dead at home on Kinlin Road in Tweed, around 7:45 a.m.
Koch is scheduled to appear back in court on September 21.
