The B.C. man charged in the death of Wataru Kakiuchi, a popular chef at a Vancouver restaurant, is going to trial.
Timothy Isborn, 31, is charged with second-degree murder in Kakiuchi's death. He remains in custody.
Kakiuchi was found suffering from stab wounds on Union Street near Main Street on June 5. Emergency crews tried to save him, but he died before they could get him to a hospital, according to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD).
Kakiuchi, who was originally from Japan, worked at the Yaletown restaurant Hapa Izakaya. The restaurant shut down temporarily after Kakiuchi's death.
Isborn appeared briefly before Vancouver Provincial Court Judge David St. Pierre Aug. 20.
A pretrial conference has been set for Oct. 4 with Isborn returning to court Oct. 17 to confirm a date for a preliminary inquiry. Such inquiries are held to determine if enough evidence exists to go to trial. They are covered by a statutory publication ban to ensure any potential jury pool has no prior facts of the case before trial.
Hapa Izakaya had shared photos of Kakiuchi on Instagram.
"Your joyful spirit touched our hearts and brought endless happiness. Your memory will forever be cherished and missed," reads the caption from the restaurant.
"Rest in peace Wataru."
On June 12, the VPD announced Isborn had been arrested on June 10 in the Downtown Eastside.
“Evidence gathered by our investigators, along with information from the public, was integral to us making this arrest,” said Sgt. Steve Addison at the time.
Investigators don't believe the two men knew each other, according to the VPD, and a motive has not been determined. The investigation is ongoing.
"We don't believe they knew each other prior to the murder," said Addison during a VPD press conference. "However, we're still working to determine what the specific motive was."
With files from Brendan Kergin
