P.E.I. teen charged with 1st-degree murder will stay in custody until January

One of two teenaged males charged in the death of an eastern P.E.I. 17-year-old will remain in custody until mid-January. 

The teen made a court appearance by video in provincial youth court on Wednesday for a remand hearing. He consented to stay in custody until his next scheduled court appearance on Jan. 15, and the hearing was adjourned. 

The second youth charged in the case will appear in court on Jan. 18. 

The two teens were arrested Dec. 19 in connection with the disappearance of Tyson MacDonald. 

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Following a six-day search, human remains that the RCMP believe to belong to the Montague Regional High School student were found Dec. 20 in Kings County. 

P.E.I. Crown attorney Jeff MacDonald said police are still conducting their investigation, and the delay will let police and the Crown have as much information as possible by January. 

"There [are] certainly some very significant aspects of the investigation that are still underway, and I think it's beneficial for all of the parties involved in this to have a very clear picture... before we proceed further with how this is going to go, one way or another," he said. 

The youths have also been charged with first-degree murder and interfering with human remains by hiding human remains, while one faces additional charges of accessory after the fact, public mischief and obstruction of a peace officer. 

Our number one aim is to find the truth of what happened.— Crown attorney Jeff MacDonald

The Youth Criminal Justice Act prohibits anyone from publishing the identity of an accused person under the age of 18, as well as any victims and witnesses under 18 when a youth is charged with a crime. 

The parents of Tyson MacDonald have given consent for CBC News to identify him in relation to this case.  

The Crown attorney said sentencing both youths as adults if they are found guilty would be "a consideration," but no decisions have been made yet. 

He said many P.E.I. residents are interested in the outcome of this case, and he assured the public that the RCMP and the Crown are prioritizing the investigation. 

"The public should be heartened to know that the RCMP have taken this incredibly seriously; it's been their top priority. They've gathered a massive amount of information in a very short period of time [and] they're continuing to work," MacDonald said.

"At the end of the day, our number one aim is to find the truth of what happened."