Mental fitness hearing scheduled for Ont. man accused of mother’s murder

Warning: This article contains details that may be disturbing for readers.

A mental fitness hearing has been set for a 26-year-old Bradford man accused of killing his mother last summer, hours after he was released from jail.

Joshua Berrezueta Wilson appeared in a virtual courtroom from the Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care this week as the Crown confirmed a fitness hearing is scheduled to take place in mid-March.

• Bradford, Ont. man released from jail day before mother’s death

Police said the body of Susan Berrezueta was found inside her home July 31, 2025, following a call for a welfare check by concerned loved ones.

Berrezueta, according to an online obituary, was a mother of three who worked as an operating room nurse at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto for 35 years. She was two weeks shy of her 61st birthday.

• Ont. man charged with first-degree murder after dead body discovered in Bradford home

Surveillance video recorded the moment her son was led away in handcuffs by South Simcoe Police and charged with first-degree murder.

CTV News learned Berrezueta Wilson was previously charged with assault and assault with a weapon in September 2024. After being convicted and sentenced, Berrezueta Wilson was released from custody on July 30. The next day his mother was found dead, and her son was back in jail accused of killing her.

• Bradford man accused of murdering his mother intends to represent himself, seek bail

Berrezueta Wilson previously told the court he intends to represent himself. After spending about four months in jail, he was transferred to the Waypoint Centre for ongoing mental health assessment in late 2025.

Court-appointed lawyers fulfilling the role of amicus curiae have helped move Berrezueta Wilson’s case along as the accused remains at the mental health facility in Penetanguishene, appearing in court by video on several occasions.

The allegations against Joshua Berrezueta Wilson have not been tested in court.