Accused father appears in court
FROM CANADIAN PRESS
Aug. 9, 2004David Carmichael, 46, appeared expressionless this morning during a brief video court appearance in London, where his son's lifeless body was found in a hotel room July 31.
LONDON, Ont. — A Toronto man charged in the mysterious death of his 11-year-old son is said to be "sad" over the case.The first-degree murder case was postponed until Sept. 1.
Philip Campbell, the lawyer who is representing Carmichael, would say little about the case outside court.
But he said Carmichael is "sad" about it, and that it is "unspeakably tragic."
Carmichael has not yet entered a plea, not has he been given a bail hearing.
Police have refused to provide a motivation for what some reports have suggested was death by suffocation.
One published report said the autopsy indicated the boy died of asphyxia, and that the post-mortem uncovered no sign of strangulation on the boy's neck.
But police have refused comment on the reports, and on others that said the boy had suffered a brain aneurysm and had recently been diagnosed with a brain tumour.
David Carmichael's brother said at the boy's funeral last week that the family will have more to say later.
It has been reported that Carmichael was in London with his son for a cycling competition.
Carmichael was a director of national projects at ParticipACTION and director of research and development at the Ontario Physical and Health Education Association.
More recently, he was the manager of Let's Get Moving, a national program aimed at promoting daily physical education for children.