The man accused of killing Kenneth Edwards in March 2017 will finally have his day in court.
Darcy Sheppard, 32, was charged two years ago with first-degree murder, causing indignity to a human body, arson, breach of probation and theft under $5,000. A second man was originally charged as well back in 2017, but in September of that year all charges against Patrick Sweeney were stayed by the court.
Committed to trial in May 2018, Sheppard's trial is proceeding by judge and jury. Jury selection began this morning. The case is expected to last five weeks. In his last court appearance in April, Sheppard was represented by lawyer Glenn Sandberg. Sheppard has been in jail since his arrest two years ago.
To recap, in March 2017 the burned remains of Kenneth Edwards, 59, were found in a detached shed outside a home on Bancroft Drive.
Police fire and EMS were called to a Bancroft Drive home just after 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 10, 2017. When they arrived, they found a detached shed on fire outside the home. Bancroft was closed from Neelon Avenue to Sheppart Street while firefighters fought the fire and while investigators combed through the debris afterwards.
It was later revealed a body was found in the shed and police were treating the incident as a murder investigation. Edwards lived in a bungalow on the property where the shed was burned with his body inside.
Members of the GSPS forensic unit, the coroner’s office and the fire marshal processed the scene on Bancroft Drive.
Last month, Sheppard was back in court facing an assault charge. He is accused of assaulting a correctional officer at Sudbury Jail on Oct. 26, 2018.
