A judge is set to deliver his sentence today for a man convicted of killing two Alberta seniors who disappeared on a camping trip in 2010. Â The penalty for Travis Vader, found guilty of manslaughter in the deaths of Lyle and Marie McCann, could range from time already served to life in prison.
The couple, in their late 70s, vanished after leaving their home in St. Albert, northwest of Edmonton, on a camping trip to British Columbia.
Their burned-out motorhome and a vehicle they had been towing were later discovered, though their bodies never were found.
Justice Denny Thomas has described Vader as a desperate drug addict who came across the McCanns and killed them during a robbery.
The Crown is asking for a life sentence, saying Vader was out on bail and on the run on other charges when he killed the vulnerable couple.
He also showed no remorse after the killings, using their cellphone the same day to call an ex-girlfriend and their money to buy beer and a phone card.
The defence is arguing that Vader should receive four to six years but get at least six years credit for pre-trial custody.
Vader’s lawyer Nathan Whitling has said the case boils down to speculation, saying that because there were no witnesses and the McCanns’ remains have not been found, it is impossible to say how they died.
The time Vader has spent in custody on the case is complicated. He was arrested on outstanding charges when the McCanns disappeared but was not charged in their deaths until 2012. The Crown stayed murder charges before a trial in 2014, then reactivated them months later.
Vader has also been released on bail and had bail revoked, and has been convicted and sentenced on various other charges.
Source: Â GlobeandmailMail.com
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