A day after extradition from Germany, Luka Rocco Magnotta, who was charged with the murder and dismemberment of Chinese student Lin Jun, appeared before Quebec Superior Court Justice Lori Renee Weitzman in Montreal, Canada, by video link Tuesday afternoon.
Magnotta entered a plea of not guilty to five charges, including first-degree murder, committing an indignity to a dead human body, posting obscene material on the Internet, mailing obscene material, and harassment of Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper.
Montreal police kept the 29-year-old murder suspect away from the courtroom to prevent protesters and supporters from gathering and did not disclose where he is being held, although it is believed Magnotta was taken to a police operational centre in Montreal's north end after arriving in the city Monday night. Now that he has been formally charged, Magnotta will likely be transferred to one of the city's high-security detention centers.
Tuesday's arraignment only lasted about three minutes, during which time Magnotta's lawyer, Pierre Panaccio, requested a delay until Thursday when he is expected to submit a motion requesting a psychiatric evaluation of his client.
Helene Di Salvo, one of the two prosecutors involved in arguing the case, told The Canadian Press Tuesday that she and fellow crown attorney Louis Bouthillier would soon meet with members of Lin's family, who are in Montreal, to help them "believe" in Canada's justice system and reassure them they would "work very, very hard in this case," which Di Salvo said could last two years.
During his virtual court appearance Tuesday, Magnotta only said one word, "OK," when Panaccio asked the accused to call him later at home.
Meanwhile, police have interrogated Magnotta about the location of Lin's head, but reportedly received no answers. Last month, the 33-year-old Chinese national's torso was found in a suitcase, and his hands and feet were sent separately by mail to two of Canada's main political parties in Ottawa and two schools in Vancouver.
Xinhua