By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Possible resolution coming for woman accused of killing her mother

May 14, 2018 | 1:42 PM

LETHBRIDGE – It appears there may not be a trial after all for a Calgary woman, who is accused of killing her mother in Lethbridge in early 2016.

Just over one year ago, on May 8, 2017, 53-year-old Lisa Freihaut and her lawyer had her matter scheduled for a four-week jury trial in September of 2018. Freihaut faces a charge of second degree murder for the death of her 78-year-old mother, Irene Carter.

Monday morning, May 14, the matter was brought forward in the Lethbridge Court of Queen’s Bench, with the Crown prosecutor saying they are in discussions with the defence and are expecting to resolve the matter without calling evidence.

Further, Lethbridge News Now has found that the trial dates set for September have been vacated.

The matter will now return to court on June 11.

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On the same day the matter was set for trial last year, Freihaut voluntarily went back into custody, after having been out on bail for nearly a year. Outside the courthouse, Freihaut’s lawyer, Andre Ouellet, told the media that it was a family decision.

“Whatever happens, if you’re found guilty of either second degree murder or manslaughter, whatever it is, your time starts counting when you’re in custody, so any sentence therefore starts from the moment you’re in custody on murder charges… so that’s one advantage,” explained Ouellette. “And clearly, it’s a difficult situation, this is a small town… it’s a local family, so it maybe a situation where it’s more comfortable [going back into custody] all around.”

According to the Lethbridge Police Service, on Jan. 17, 2016, Freihaut and her husband called police, saying they found Carter’s body in her home along the 300 block of Normandy Road South while going to check-up on her. An autopsy confirmed she died from multiple stab wounds, and police believe she was killed on Jan. 13.

In a release from the Lethbridge Police Service, they stated that they believe a dispute over finances led to a physical altercation between the victim and another individual, which resulted in Carter’s death.