Michael Murray’s parents remember their son as a gentle soul who loved animals and flowers, and had all the time in the world for his beloved nieces and nephews.

The 54-year-old was found dead inside a house on King Street West in Delhi on March 30, 2021.

An autopsy confirmed Michael’s death was a homicide.

After a two-week investigation, police in Norfolk County charged 27-year-old Robert Lee Ballard with second-degree murder.

But he is only now going to trial, almost five years later.

The years that followed Ballard’s arrest featured a litany of psychiatric assessments, court hearings and pretrials, punctuated by weeks and sometimes months of inactivity.

“It’s been taking a long time. It’s terrible,” Marilyn Murray, the victim’s mother, told The Spectator.

Just when a trial was

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