The judge-only trial for a Toronto man accused of killing two strangers in 2022 began Tuesday at Ontario's Superior Court of Justice.

Richard Edwin pleaded not guilty to two first-degree murder charges and is seeking to be found not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder.

Justice Jane Kelly said she will decide in future proceedings whether the accused will ultimately face charges of first- or second-degree murder. That depends on whether she believes Edwin planned the murders, which would mean a first-degree murder charge, or if he intended to kill but did not plan the murders.

Edwin was arrested in April 2022 and charged with the deaths of 21-year-old Kartik Vasudev and 35-year-old Elijah Eleazar Mahepath. The killings happened two days apart and both victims died from

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