CALEB NICKERSON
GATINEAU April 11, 2018
The trial of a Clarendon man charged with second-degree murder likely won’t take place until next spring.
Police were called to Brian Brownlee’s home on the 4th Concession in the early morning of Jan. 18, 2017, where they discovered the body of 50-year-old Darwin Zimmerling of Shawville, unresponsive.
Zimmerling was later pronounced dead at the Shawville Hospital.
Brownlee was arrested at the scene and charged with second-degree murder.
Crown Attorney Marie Claude D’aoust explained that Brownlee waived his right to a preliminary inquiry on April 4.
Preliminary inquiries are used to determine if there is enough evidence to go to trial.
For serious crimes, a defendant or their lawyer may request one but they can also opt to skip it, with the permission of the prosecuting attorney.
The file was called in front of a Superior Court on April 6 to determine a trial date in front of a judge and jury, but was delayed.
“The file has been postponed until June 20 and at that point we’ll get an official date, probably in the spring of 2019,” she said.












