Lucy Li’s next court date set in murder case as co-accused Oliver Karafa faces extradition hearing Friday
Hi. Your name please?" asked the justice of the peace.
Yun Lu Li," came the answer.
And with that, Lucy Li's journey in the Canadian justice system continued on Tuesday, one that in a sense began in Budapest two weeks ago, when she was handed over to a Hamilton homicide detective after her capture by a Hungarian fugitive search team.
The Toronto woman spoke in Zoom court on audio with no video, from where she is incarcerated at the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton, 45 minutes north of Hamilton.
Hamilton police Det. Sgt. Jim Callender brought the 25-year-old fugitive back to face charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with a shooting Feb. 28 in a secluded industrial area in Stoney Creek in which 39-year-old Tyler Pratt was killed, and his 26-year-old girlfriend seriously injured.
Callender told The Spectator that Li's co-accused, her 29-year-old boyfriend Oliver Karafa, remains in custody in Hungary, where he faces an extradition hearing on Friday. Karafa has maintained citizenship in neighbouring Slovakia.
According to the Metropolitan Court in Budapest, which released a statement after the pair appeared in court last month, Karafa is the alleged shooter.
At Li's virtual hearing, Aug. 24 was set for her next court date.
Lisa Pomerant, who is one of two lawyers representing Li, said in court that disclosure of evidence in the case will take about three weeks.
Hamilton police alleged that Li and Karafa flew to the Czech Republic hours after the shootings and remained in hiding in eastern Europe.
Pratt's girlfriend was pregnant at the time she was injured, and the shooting led to her losing the pregnancy. The shootings took place behind a closed Arvin Avenue business.
Li is a triplet, and the daughter of a prominent Chinese-Canadian businessperson. Dubbed a glamorous" social media influencer in a British newspaper, Li and Karafa were also called a Millennial Bonnie and Clyde," in a reference to the criminal couple shot dead by American police officers in 1934.
Jon Wells is a Hamilton-based reporter and feature writer for The Spectator. Reach him via email: jwells@thespec.com