A pair of men charged with first-degree murder for their alleged role in the death of a Cranbrook couple eight years ago appeared by video in Vancouver Supreme Court on Tuesday for a pre-trial conference.
Colin Correia and Sheldon Hunter were charged earlier this summer, eight years after the deaths of Leanne MacFarlane and Jeffrey Taylor inside their rural home on the outskirts of Cranbrook on May 29, 2010.
The shooting appeared to be a tragic case of mistaken identity as part of a targeted incident, according to RCMP.
The B.C. Prosecution Service has filed a direct indictment in the matter, meaning it will proceed in B.C. Supreme Court without a preliminary inquiry, according to a B.C. Prosecution Service spokesperson. A preliminary inquiry is sometimes used as a process to test the strength of the Crown’s evidence before trial.
Tuesday’s hearing was a pre-trial conference to discuss disclosure and scheduling issues, while another conference is set for Dec. 4.
No trial date has been set, but all hearings going forward will be held at the Vancouver Law Courts.
Both Correia and Hunter were arrested in Alberta, one day after each other in Edmonton and Drumheller, respectively, earlier this year in June.
The investigation, which had been ongoing since 2010, involved investigative resources from the Southeast District Major Crime Unit and various law enforcement agencies within and outside the RCMP.
