Dwayne Nicholas Pierce is a free man, as a charge of first degree murder against him has been dropped.
Defence lawyer Maria Carroccia says a preliminary hearing was scheduled for this morning, but the Crown had already decided the charge would be withdrawn. She figures the decision was made due to no reasonable prospect of conviction.
Carroccia says the 23-year-old's been out on bail since December, but the last year hasn't been easy for him. "He always maintained his innocence. But certainly it was stressful for him and for his family, to have this hanging over his head for that length of time."
Pierce was one of four men arrested following the stabbing death of 19-year-old Kevin Kugathasan outside of a downtown Windsor night club back in October of last year.
