Judge denies bail request from accused in murder of Tess Richey

A 21-year-old man accused of murdering Tess Richey in 2017 was denied bail in a Toronto courtroom on Monday morning.

Kalen Schlatter was first arrested and charged with second-degree murder in February. That charge was later upgraded to first-degree murder in March after police uncovered “new evidence” in the case.

Schatter’s two-day bail hearing began on July 24. Four people offered to act as his sureties.

Richey’s family reported her missing on November 25 when she failed to return home after a night out with a friend in the city’s Gay Village, known formally as the Church-Wellesley neighbourhood.

Four days later, the 22-year-old’s mother found her daughter’s body at the bottom of an outdoor stairwell at a building under construction, steps away from where she was last seen.

Police have previously said Richey and Schlatter likely met for the first time that night.

They allege she died of “neck compression,” though none of the allegations have been proven in court.

Richey’s disappearance and subsequent death was one in a series of cases that gripped the neighbourhood over the past year. Other notable cases include the investigation into Bruce McArthur, which has resulted in eight first-degree murder charges, and the death of transgender woman Alloura Wells.

Toronto police have faced harsh criticism for their response to missing persons cases as a result.

Chief Mark Saunders later vowed to review the service’s handling of missing person’s cases.

Two police officers have since been charged with misconduct offence under the Police Services Act in connection with Richey’s case.