A complicated Tilbury murder case has stumbled again.
The court in Chatham has been waiting a few months for a possible guilty plea from Ken Baylis, but on Monday, his lawyer told the judge the case was heading back to the preliminary hearing phase.
Baylis will return to court on February 2 to schedule dates for another preliminary hearing.
Baylis, 35, was set to plead guilty in November and December. However, the defence told the Chatham court last month that more time was needed to complete the resolution and talk with his client over the holidays about some unresolved issues.
At previous court appearances, the defence had promised a resolution was near. The defence and prosecution have had lengthy discussions to resolve the case.
Delay has been a concern at several points during the case because mental health assessments to determine if he was criminally responsible were postponed several times.
Baylis was charged with second-degree murder in April 2023 after Daniel Marchand, 45, was reported missing and later found dead at a home on Dufferin Avenue in Tilbury.
Chatham-Kent police previously reported that a post-mortem examination showed that the cause of death was determined to be homicide.
The case is under a publication ban, and evidence cannot be reported.
