Harley Lawrence murder case adjourned until July 23

Two men accused of killing a homeless man in a rural Nova Scotia community made brief court appearances Tuesday as their case was adjourned until July 23.

Daniel Wayne Surette and Kyle David James Fredericks each face a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Harley Lawrence, who was 62.

Lawrence's body was found Oct. 23 in a burned-out bus shelter in Berwick, a small town in the Annapolis Valley about 120 kilometres northwest of Halifax.

Dates for a preliminary hearing were expected to be set Tuesday in Kentville provincial court, but that will now take place when the case returns to court next month.

Fredericks's lawyer, Geoffrey Newton, requested the adjournment saying he had just received disclosure from the Crown.

"This is the first thing I have received on this file," Newton told Judge Alan Tufts.

Ken Greer, the lawyer representing Surette, said he previously received some disclosure.

Outside court, Crown attorney James Fyfe said virtually all of the disclosure has now been given.

The police investigation was complex, he added.

"They interviewed many witnesses, they tried many different investigative techniques, so there is a lot to go through," Fyfe said.

Both of the accused are in their 20s and live in the Berwick area. They were charged last April.

Police have released few details about the case, including how Lawrence died. Local residents have said Lawrence began using the bus shelter for refuge as temperatures dipped last fall.