A teen charged with first degree murder in the death of a Kitchener man in March 2010 is expected to plead to a lesser charge.
Defence lawyer Craig Parry says "It'll be a plea to a lesser charge, that's the plan, and that will be with the agreement of the parties."
The youth, who was 16 at the time of the killing, is accused in the stabbing death of 49-year-old Larry McDonald.
McDonald was found suffering from multiple stab wounds in his apartment on Green Valley Drive in Kitchener. He was rushed to hospital but died of his injuries.
He was the first murder victim in Waterloo Region in 2010.
The stabbing reportedly occurred during a confrontation in McDonald's second floor apartment.
Neighbours told CTV News at the time that a young couple with an infant had been visiting with McDonald when an argument ensued.
McDonald had lived at the apartment for at least 12 years and friends said they were shocked by what happened.
A knife was recovered by police in the vicinity of the apartment and there was a heavy police presence in the neighbourhood during the search for the suspect.
A Canada-wide warrant was issued for the youth, who was arrested in Kitchener the day after the stabbing and made his first court appearance at the end of March 2010.
Parry says the defence and the Crown must still agree to a statement of facts about what happened and there are some other legal matters to be dealt with before a plea is entered.
The Crown could still apply to have the teen sentenced as an adult after the plea is entered.
"The court is going to have to apply some legal tests to determine whether or not the Crown meets its burden on that application or whether he remains sentenced as a youth," Parry says.
The lawyers involved will return to court next month to discuss the matter further.