A man, Calvin Burns-Smith, accused of killing a woman in Rothesay in Musquash last year, is facing trial for separate charges of uttering threats against another woman. Burns-Smith, 31, appeared in court on Tuesday to set trial dates for two charges of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm on April 5 and April 17, 2025. Judge Kelly Winchester informed Burns-Smith that his trial is scheduled for February 4 and 5 at 9:30 a.m. and that he will remain in police custody.
Burns-Smith pleaded not guilty to the charges of uttering threats. He was initially set to face trial in June but the date was postponed at the request of his lawyer.
In a separate case, Burns-Smith was already in police custody for the threat charges when he was arrested by RCMP on April 21 last year in connection with the death of Sarah Teakles, a 26-year-old mother of two. Teakles’ body was discovered on April 17 in Maces Bay, southwest of Saint John. Burns-Smith is charged with second-degree murder and interference with human remains. The trial for these charges is set to commence on May 3.
According to a family friend’s previous statements to CBC News, Teakles had been residing in Rothesay with her children, mother, and sister. She was last seen three days before her body was found by the RCMP.
Initially charged with manslaughter linked to the death of Teakles, Burns-Smith opted for a jury trial with a preliminary inquiry in July 2025. The charge was later upgraded to second-degree murder, and a direct indictment was filed by the Crown, bypassing the preliminary inquiry stage and proceeding directly to trial. During a recent pre-trial conference, Burns-Smith’s defense lawyer, Brian Munro, informed the court that Burns-Smith wanted to change the mode of trial to one before a judge alone, which was consented to by Crown prosecutor Elaina Campbell. Another pre-trial conference for the murder charge is anticipated to take place in early September.