Accused killer Travis Vader will stand trial for the second time for eight drug and firearms-related offences dating back to the summer of 2010.
Court of Queen’s Bench Justice June Ross ordered Vader to once again stand trial on the charges, following her decision in late October to declare a mistrial in the case because Vader’s lawyer did not receive full disclosure.
Crown prosecutor Michelle Doyle said in September that two witness statements were not provided to the defence as she was unaware they existed.
“There was a reference to statements of two civilian witnesses that had not been previously disclosed to the defence,” she said. “I did not know about the statements, so we took a break and we confirmed that these statements existed and had not been disclosed.”
Ross found that the slip-up was not significant enough to justify throwing out the charges. She ruled instead that the case will proceed to trial Feb. 6 in Edmonton.
The charges relate to a mid-June escapade near Barrhead where Vader allegedly stole a truck, possessed an illegal firearm and trafficked methamphetamines.
Vader, 41, remains behind bars on a pair of first-degree murder charges for the slayings of St. Albert seniors Lyle and Marie McCann.
The McCanns’ were last seen on July 3, 2010 as they departed St. Albert, bound for British Columbia for a family visit.
The burnt-out shell of their motorhome was discovered at a campground near Edson a few days later, with Vader being named a suspect in the following weeks.
He was formally charged with first-degree murder on April 18, 2012 – nearly two years after he was named a suspect in the killings. He has been in police custody since July 19, 2010 on unrelated charges.
A preliminary inquiry is set for Sept. 9 in Stony Plain.
