Portage man charged with murder makes first appearance in court

It was last April when three people from Portage la Prairie were found deceased at the scene of a house fire on the East end of the city. At that point, an arrest warrant was issued for 50-year-old Trevis McLeod. The victims were members of his family, a 32-year-old mother, her six-year-old daughter, and her three-year-old son

After a four-day search that included several sightings in Winnipeg, McLeod was eventually taken into custody, and yesterday the accused made his first appearance in a Manitoba court.

The appearance was a preliminary inquiry that determines if there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial. In this case, Mcleod waived his right to the hearing which means things will move on to the court of King's Bench and a trial will take place in Portage la Prairie starting in late April.

McLeod will be facing three counts of second-degree murder and one count of arson. The charges have not been proven in court.