Crown chooses direct indictment for Veronica Whalen, Jason Wells and Brad Morrell, accused of murdering Dylan Jordan in St. John’s last yearPublished Jun 16, 2025 • 2 minute readThree people are charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a 31-year-old man on Golf Avenue in St. John’s on July 31, 2024. -Photo by Joe Gibbons/The Telegram Photo by joe gibbons /joe gibbonsA woman and two men charged with murdering a man in St. John’s last summer will head to directly to trial without a preliminary inquiry.The Crown is proceeding by way of direct indictment in the case of Veronica Whalen, 37; Jason Wells, 51; and Brad Morrell, 42, whose preliminary inquiry was set to begin in provincial court in St. John’s Monday, June 16.Under the Canadian Criminal Code, the Crown has the power to prefer a direct indictment, sending an accused to trial without an inquiry (or despite a discharge at an inquiry), but only with consent of the attorney general.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentA preliminary inquiry is typical held in serious criminal cases, allowing a provincial court judge to hear evidence from both sides before determining whether there is enough to send an accused to trial.The Crown can choose direct indictment for several reasons, including to prevent interference with witnesses, in cases whether a witness’ health or age is a significant issue, or to avoid delays that could exceed the legal timelines for trial. For a murder case, that deadline is 30 months after charges were laid.Whalen, Wells and Morrell are scheduled to be arraigned in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador in September for the second-degree murder of 31-year-old Dylan Jordan on July 31, 2024.Accused known to victim, police sayRoyal Newfoundland Constabulary officers responded that morning shortly after 10:30 to reports of a potential weapons offence at the corner of Golf Avenue and St. Clare Avenue, and arrived to find Jordan lying in the road, dead. Police have said the accused and Jordan were known to each other. They have said a physical altercation occurred, but declined comment on a weapon.The RNC issued a shelter-in-place order for residents of the area as officers surrounded a home in which the suspects were hiding, demanding they come out with their hands up. The three accused and another woman exited an apartment minutes later and were taken into custody.The second woman was later released without charge.In addition to the murder charge, Wells is charged with possessing property obtained by crime and failing to attend court.Article content
Three charged with murder in St John’s last summer headed to trial without preliminary inquiry
