During the trial for the murder of Rocky View County worker Colin Hough, the court heard on Tuesday that a suspicious individual on a quad was spotted near where a burn pile was later discovered, just one day after the fatal shooting east of Calgary.
Witness Testimony
Terry Loeppky testified that his son, Chris, alerted him to the man, who was seen off Boundary Road, not far from its intersection with the Trans-Canada Highway. Loeppky stated that after the quad rider left, he found a smoldering burn pile containing items, including what appeared to be a pair of underwear.
Details from the Trial
In her opening address to jurors last week, Crown prosecutor Photini Papadatou indicated that evidence would show murder suspect Elijah Blake Strawberry's DNA was found on items in the burn pile. Both Strawberry and Arther Wayne Penner are charged with second-degree murder in connection with the August 6, 2024, fatal shooting of Hough, who had slowed near the intersection of Township Road 250 and Range Road 282 east of Calgary due to a burning pickup truck.
Loeppky described the individual he saw as an Indigenous male with neck tattoos. He noted that the man remained on the same ATV an hour later when Loeppky passed the location again. When he returned later, the man was gone, but a small burn pile was still flaming. Loeppky commented that the tattoos resembled those often obtained in prison, suggesting a criminal or biker lifestyle.
Cross-Examination
During cross-examination, Strawberry's lawyer, Rebecca Snukal, questioned Loeppky's certainty about the man's ethnicity. Snukal suggested that Loeppky was guessing, to which Loeppky responded, 'I was pretty sure. How's that?' The trial, now in its second week, is expected to last four weeks.
