Dartmouth man to be charged with murder after stabbing in March 2022

A man accused of stabbing a neighbor to death during an altercation at their apartment building in the north part of Dartmouth is set to stand trial on a charge of manslaughter.

John Edward Adams, 38, is charged with the March 2022 murder of 32-year-old Ryan Lindsay.

A preliminary inquiry sat in Dartmouth county court for three days in March and another day this week.

Crown attorneys Janine Kidd and Maura Landry called evidence from 18 people – 10 residents of the building, six police officers, a paramedic supervisor and a medical examiner – at the request of attorney James Giacomantonio.

The evidence they provided should not be published in order to protect Adams’ right to a fair trial.

After the last person testified Tuesday, Judge Amy Sakalauskas, with the defense’s agreement, ordered Adams to stand trial in the Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

Adams will appear before the Supreme Court in Halifax on July 6 to begin setting dates for a jury trial.

The Halifax Regional Police Department responded to a report of an injured man in an apartment building at 45B Elmwood Ave at approximately 11:10 p.m. on March 4, 2022. Lindsay was pronounced dead at the scene.

The death was declared a homicide the next day after an autopsy.

Police have not released Lindsay’s cause of death, but friends told The Chronicle Herald that he was stabbed several times during a disagreement with a neighbor.

If Adams wants bail, he will have to file with the Supreme Court. He ordered no contact with 19 potential key witnesses.

A preliminary investigation determines whether there is enough evidence for a suspect to proceed to the Supreme Court. It also allows the defense to test the strength of the Crown’s case.