The man charged with killing a 17-year-old in Surrey in the fall of 2014 has been ordered by a B.C. Provincial Court judge to stand trial for the murder.
Raymond Caissie is charged with second-degree murder in connection with Serena Vermeersch’s death on Sept. 15, 2014. The teen’s body was discovered a day later, after she was reported missing, in an area near 66 Avenue and 146 Street. Caissie was arrested four days later in Vancouver.
His arrest sparked outrage as he had been released from prison the year prior after serving a lengthy sentence for a violent sexual assault. B.C. Corrections issued a warning upon his release because he was considered at high risk to re-offend.
A Surrey judge determined there was sufficient evidence for Caissie to proceed to trial for Vermeersch’s murder following a preliminary hearing that concluded Friday (Feb. 5).
Evidence from preliminary hearings is subject to a publication ban and can not be published.
Caissie’s next scheduled court date is April 28. It’s expected the trial will be heard in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster.
