Crown, defence meet in court on case of man accused of murdering his children

The Calgary Courts Centre is pictured on Feb. 20, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Court counsel in the case of a man accused of murdering his two young children met Friday before a judge.

Crown prosecutor Carla MacPhail and defence lawyer Clayton Rice were in a Calgary courtroom to discuss next steps for the 37-year-old accused.

The accused himself was not in the room this time, nor did he appear via CCTV.

His matter was seen to briefly and adjourned to July 6.

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MacPhail explained to the court she’d recently received disclosure—the evidence against the accused—from the Calgary Police Service.

She and Rice were in agreement; at least the month is necessary for that material to be passed along to the defence and reviewed.

The accused will remain in custody in the meantime.

He’s currently being held in Medicine Hat.

Investigators believe the accused murdered his children shortly before midnight on April 29, then brought the bodies to police in northwest Calgary 10 hours later.

On the morning of April 30, police said they were dealing with “a serious incident” at 14 Street north of John Laurie Boulevard N.W.

They said the children, a five-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl, were found dead inside a vehicle near the turnoff into the District 3 police station.

The accused was taken into custody at the scene and later charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

Police said the accused is the one who called them, and that he confessed.

A publication ban was brought forward by the Crown to protect the identities of the victims.

By extension, it also covers the identity of the accused.

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