A bail hearing is set for December 19 for Elijah Blake Strawberry, one of two men charged in the August 6 shooting near Conrich that resulted in the death of Colin John Hough, a Rocky View County worker and Airdrie resident.
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A Calgary judge established this date last week. Strawberry faces charges of second-degree murder and attempted murder alongside co-accused Arthur Wayne Penner.
The shooting occurred when Hough stopped to help at the scene of a burning truck. A FortisAlberta employee was also injured during the incident.
In court last Friday, Strawberry’s lawyer, Rebecca Snukal, requested a full-day hearing to argue for his release while awaiting trial. Under Canadian law, defendants facing murder charges must prove they are suitable for bail.
Penner, who is seeking new legal representation through Legal Aid, had his case postponed until next week. Both men have been in custody since their arrests; Strawberry was apprehended over a month after the incident following an extensive province-wide search, which included a $10,000 reward for information.
Timeline of events
- August 6: At approximately noon, Strathmore RCMP received a report of two men shot while working along Township Road 250 and Range Road 281 in Rocky View County. Hough and a 39-year-old FortisAlberta employee were shot during an attempted robbery by two unknown individuals. The suspects burned their vehicle and stole one of the victim's Rocky View County pickup trucks.
After the shooting, responding officers located the suspects in the stolen pickup truck, but they evaded police. Using the truck's GPS, authorities later found it abandoned in a field.
- August 8: RCMP identified 35-year-old Arthur Wayne Penner as one of the suspects.
- August 11: Elijah Strawberry was identified as the second suspect, having evaded capture for over a month.
- August 16: Mounties announced a $2,000 reward for information leading to Strawberry's arrest.
- August 23: The RCMP increased the reward to $10,000.
- September 6: Updated photos of Strawberry were released, with a message from Alberta RCMP Chief Superintendent Roberta McKale urging him to surrender.
- September 13: Strawberry was safely arrested at a residence on O’Chiese First Nation.
- September 17: The Crown prosecution announced that both men would be tried together despite being charged and arrested separately.
- October 10: The prosecution revealed that Penner would face a second-degree murder trial instead of a first-degree trial.
Hough's death shocked the communities of Rocky View County and Airdrie. A GoFundMe campaign in his memory raised nearly $100,000. He was remembered as a beloved father, husband, son, and friend who always lent a helping hand.
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