A man who’s been held in custody since being arrested for murder and attempted murder late last year will stand trial in supreme court.
Travis Stephens was moved to a higher court after his preliminary inquiry, which determines if there’s enough evidence to go to trial, concluded.
The hearing took place over six days at the end of September and beginning of October.
As the preliminary inquiry began, more charges were added: aggravated assault, use of a firearm using offence, using a restricted or prohibited firearm/criminal organization and possess prohibited/restricted firearm with ammunition.
On Sept. 14, 2013 at approximately 1 p.m., Terrace RCMP were called to Dobbie St. in Thornhill and found one deceased male and an injured female. Both had been shot, said police at that time.
The deceased male was later identified to be Eric Cardinal, who had a long criminal record.
The female victim was transported to Mills Memorial Hospital where she was listed in serious condition with a non-life threatening wound, said police.
An extensive manhunt began after a yellow pickup truck was observed leaving the Dobbie St. area of Thornhill where the shootings took place, said police.
The pickup was found abandoned on a rural forest service road in the Kleanza Creek area east of Terrace and Thornhill on the same day of the shootings, said police.
Officers from the Terrace RCMP detachment, the area’s emergency response team and a police dog and officer converged on the location. A helicopter was also involved.
Shortly before 8 p.m. on the same day, Terrace RCMP arrested a man believed to be the shooter, police stated in a release.
That man was Stephens.
“RCMP have confirmed that Stephens was known to the victims and the incident was drug-related. All individuals involved are known to police,” said police in the release.
RCMP vehicles remained at the Dobbie St. residence for several days as specialists examined the crime scene.
Stephens is due back in court to fix a date Nov. 24.
