Man charged with 2nd-degree murder in East Preston homicide

A man has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man whose body was found in a van two years ago in the Halifax area.

Patrick James Denny, 29, also faces a charge of indignity to human remains, RCMP said Wednesday in a news release.

The body of Barry Angus Studley, 47, was discovered Aug. 30, 2022, after RCMP were called to a report of a suspicious van parked behind a strip mall in East Preston.

Police ruled the Middle Sackville man's death a homicide. Denny and Studley were known to each other, the release said.

RCMP said Denny was arrested with the help of tips from the public.

According to the Correctional Service of Canada, Denny is currently serving a seven-year sentence after being convicted of charges including aggravated assault, assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, discharging a prohibited or restricted firearm with intent.

He will remain in custody and be transported to Nova Scotia for an appearance in Dartmouth provincial court on Oct. 21.