Justin Kuijer makes his first court appearance

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A St.Catharines man charged with murdering his stepson and stabbing a Royal Bank employee last week made his first court appearance in Niagara Thursday morning. The crown formally upgraded the charge of second degree murder to first in the killing of his seven-year-old stepson Nathan Dumas.  Justin Kuijer is also facing attempted murder charges in the stabbing of an RBC employee who remains in hospital in stable condition.

Kuijer’s court appearance was a short one, only lasting a few minutes. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit and had a thick black beard. He looked tired and pale and never looked up once at the 6 friends and family members that were sitting inside court.

After a 5 day Canadian-wide manhunt 43-year-old Kuijer was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Kenora, Ontario, about 2000 kilometres away. His dark grey van was spotted in a Walmart parking lot by a member of the public who recognized the vehicle’s description.

Unlike most criminal offences, there is no right to a bail hearing in first degree murder cases. Kuijer is expected back in court via video link on April 19th.