Dash cam video of a stolen pickup truck belonging to fatal shooting victim Colin Hough failed to assist police in identifying the suspects, a Calgary murder trial heard on Friday.
Const. Shane Manca testified that despite capturing the stolen Rocky View County pickup on his in-vehicle camera during a near head-on collision, he was unable to see who was inside the truck. Manca agreed with defence lawyers Rebecca Snukal and Alexandra Seaman that glare from the windshield prevented any view of the occupants.
During cross-examination, Seaman asked Manca, "Did you observe two occupants in the vehicle?" Manca replied, "I didn't observe the occupants." He further told Snukal that while the video could not be zoomed in, steps were taken to try to determine the identities of anyone in the truck. When Snukal asked, "You weren't able to identify anyone?" Manca responded, "Correct."
Video played in court on Thursday showed Manca's police pickup traveling westbound on Township Road 252 before encountering the Rocky View County vehicle that Hough's assailants were reported to have fled in. Both driver's side mirrors were damaged as the two pickups narrowly missed colliding head-on at high speeds.
Arthur Wayne Penner and Elijah Blake Strawberry are charged with second-degree murder in connection with the Aug. 6, 2024, fatal shooting of Hough on a rural road east of Calgary.
Manca was also questioned about his involvement in investigating the discovery of a mud-caked revolver in an irrigation shed on Aug. 21. He told Crown prosecutor Ryan Ziegler that the shed contained a "makeshift" bed as well as clothing seized by Const. Jihun Kim. A pair of underwear was also discovered just outside the shed, Manca said. Police had found Hough's abandoned truck in a field not far from the shed, which was on a farmer's property "one mile from where the truck was located."
The trial resumes on Monday.
