Timothy Rees arrives at court in Toronto on Dec. 18, 2025. Rees, who spent 23 years in prison for the murder of a 10-year-old girl in 1989, had his conviction set aside. The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette
Prosecutors have withdrawn a second-degree murder charge against a Toronto man who spent 23 years behind bars for the 1989 strangling death of a 10-year-old girl, concluding a lengthy legal battle that resulted in his conviction being overturned last month.
Ontario’s highest court ordered a new trial for Timothy Rees last month after determining a “miscarriage of justice” had occurred because evidence that could have influenced the fairness of his 1990 trial was withheld from the defence. The court’s ruling left the Crown with the option to either move forward with a new trial or dismiss the charges.
