Young man committed to stand trial for second-degree murder in 2025 Beaver Bank killing

A young man from Beaver Bank has been committed to stand trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court on a charge of second-degree murder.

Evan Lloyd Wheadon, 21, is accused of killing Daniel Publicover, 27, during an altercation outside a residence in Beaver Bank in December 2025.

A preliminary inquiry was held Thursday in Dartmouth provincial court.

Crown attorneys Katie Lovett and Bryson McDonald called evidence from three civilian witnesses at the request of defence lawyers Trevor McGuigan and Anna Mancini.

The evidence from the inquiry is banned from publication to preserve Wheadon’s right to a fair trial.

At the end of the hearing, Judge Jill Hartlen ordered Wheadon to appear in Supreme Court on Nov. 5 to begin the process of setting dates for a jury trial.

Wheadon has not applied for bail.

RCMP and paramedics responded Dec. 12, 2025, at about 8 p.m. to a report of an assault at a home in the 2400 block of Beaver Bank Road.

The victim of the assault was found with life-threatening injuries, RCMP said. Despite the efforts of officers and paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers arrested a suspect nearby a short time later.

RCMP said Publicover and Wheadon knew each other, and that it was not a random incident.

Wheadon was on parole at the time of the homicide. He had received a 26-month prison sentence in November 2023 for nine offences, including two counts of robbery from July and September 2023.

His parole was revoked and he was returned to a federal penitentiary after he was charged for the homicide.

In April of this year, Wheadon was sentenced to 60 days in custody on charges of assault and theft under $5,000, both from an incident in May 2025.