A 22-year-old man has been found guilty of second-degree murder Friday in the stabbing death of his younger cousin on Hamilton Mountain last year.
Sixteen-year-old Mark Bistoyong was sitting in the dining room of his uncle’s home on July 2, 2023 when his cousin, Laureano (Lawrence) Bistoyong, took a kitchen knife and plunged it into the teen’s chest.
During the court proceedings, the accused’s brother testified the boys were playing a game of basketball outside at a nearby park when it became aggressive.
The group decided to stop playing and return to the address on Cadham Boulevard near Upper Gage Avenue. It wasn’t until they got back to the home that the stabbing occurred.
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Laureano is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 18 for his sentencing.
That same day, nearly 35 to 40 people are expected to deliver victim impact statements.
Mark has been described by family and friends as a loving, outgoing and charismatic young man who was “athletic and full of life.”
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