The trial of two men accused of murdering a Rocky View County worker who stopped to assist with a burning vehicle began Monday in Calgary. Crown prosecutor Photini Papadatou outlined the case against Elijah Blake Strawberry and Arthur Wayne Penner, who face charges of second-degree murder and attempted murder stemming from the August 6, 2024 incident.
According to the Crown, the events began when a stolen white Dodge Ram with a flat tire approached a survey site near the intersection of Township Road 250 and Range Road 282 east of Calgary. Matthew Andres, a Fortis Alberta worker, heard the vehicle and was approached by a masked individual who shot him in the arm and demanded his truck keys. Andres fled and hid as the suspect returned multiple times, pointing a gun at him.
The Dodge Ram was set on fire, and shortly after, Colin Hough, a Rocky View County employee and father of two, arrived in his pickup truck. Papadatou stated that Hough was shot multiple times while still driving. A third person arrived with a dashcam, which captured a figure collapsing in the road and Hough's truck continuing as he fell. A .45 caliber bullet was found near where Hough collapsed.
Andres' truck was later found stuck in a ditch with items not belonging to him, including a cellphone linked to Penner and a blue shoe containing DNA from both Strawberry and Penner. A 9mm casing was also found near where Andres was shot. The Crown alleges that Strawberry shot Andres, both men shot Hough, and Penner set the vehicle on fire. The trial is expected to last four weeks.
