New BrunswickA preliminary hearing is scheduled for next fall for Aaron Jesse Rice, charged with second-degree murder in the September death of 42-year-old Sonia Vivian Timbre. Aaron Jesse Rice, 45, is accused in the September death of Sonia Vivian Timbre, 42Allyson McCormack · CBC News · Posted: Dec 11, 2025 12:46 PM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Police discovered the body of Sonia Vivian Timbre, 42, in a Fredericton residence on Sept. 7. (Facebook)A preliminary hearing is scheduled for next fall for a Fredericton man charged with second-degree murder.Aaron Jesse Rice, 45, was arrested in September and charged in the death of Sonia Vivian Timbre, 42, a member of the Acho Dene Koe First Nation.Fredericton police discovered Timbre’s body in a downtown residence on Sept. 7, along with a man, who was taken to hospital. The man was later identified as Rice, police said in a news release on Sept. 24.The major crime unit launched an investigation and concluded Timbre’s death was a homicide.On Thursday, Rice appeared in Fredericton provincial court via telephone from the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre to set trial dates.Defence lawyer Angèle Normand told the court she is still waiting on disclosure from the Crown. Associate Chief Judge Mélanie Poirier LeBlanc said that “there are waves” of disclosure, and Crown prosecutor Geoffrey Hutchin told the court the second “wave” might be ready in two weeks.But he said it was still the Crown’s intention to set the date for preliminary hearing, “especially where we’re setting dates so far away already.” Normand agreed.Preliminary hearings, where the Crown presents key evidence against an accused, are held to determine if there’s enough evidence for a case to proceed to trial.LeBlanc scheduled the preliminary hearing for Rice for Sept. 4 and Oct. 2, 2026. Dates in February were discussed, but Hutchin said the Crown is expecting additional reports that won’t be available before then. LeBlanc also scheduled the case to be back in court on Feb. 24 for monitoring, and said by that time, everyone should have the information they need.Rice remains remanded in custody. He is scheduled to return to court in person in February, as well as for his preliminary hearing. The case was in court last month before Judge Karen Lee to set preliminary dates, but it was adjourned because the defence was still waiting on the same disclosure. At that time Lee said she was concerned about taking too much time to set dates, given she was already scheduling into 2027. She had asked both the Crown and defence to do what they could to narrow down how much time would be needed for a preliminary hearing, before the next appearance.ABOUT THE AUTHORAllyson McCormack is a producer with CBC New Brunswick, based in Fredericton. She has been with CBC News since 2008.
Preliminary hearing in Fredericton 2nd-degree murder case slated for next fall
