Vancouver Sex Assault Suspect Has Troubled Legal History Including Winnipeg Murder Case
A Vancouver man arrested on serious sexual assault charges this month has a complex legal history that includes being acquitted in the high-profile abduction and murder of a Winnipeg teenager after spending years in prison.
Recent Vancouver Charges and Arrest Details
Mark Edward Grant, 62, was arrested by Vancouver Police Department officers on January 8, 2026, following a reported sexual assault in the Downtown Eastside neighborhood. According to VPD spokesperson Constable Darren Wong, police responded to a residential building near East Hastings Street and Columbia Street at 6:30 a.m. after receiving reports that a woman in her sixties had been sexually assaulted within the building.
Following an investigation, Vancouver police took the suspect into custody and subsequently charged Grant with multiple serious offenses. The charges include:
- One count of unlawful confinement
- One count of sexual assault with a weapon
- One count of assault with a weapon
- One count of uttering threats
Grant remains in custody awaiting a bail hearing, with a court appearance scheduled for January 28, 2026, according to information provided to The Canadian Press.
Connection to Winnipeg Teen Murder Case
The Vancouver arrest brings renewed attention to Grant's involvement in one of Manitoba's most notorious cold cases. In 1984, 13-year-old Candace Derksen disappeared while walking home from school in Winnipeg on November 30. Her frozen, bound body was discovered six weeks later in a shed near her family home. The medical examination determined she died from hypothermia due to exposure, with no evidence of struggle or sexual assault.
Grant was arrested in 2007 based on DNA evidence found on twine used to bind Derksen's hands and charged with second-degree murder. He was convicted in 2011, but that verdict was overturned on appeal. The appeal cited several factors, including jurors not hearing about an unknown alternate suspect—particularly relevant because another schoolgirl was found tied up in Winnipeg while Grant was in custody on unrelated matters.
In 2017, after a decade behind bars, Grant was acquitted during a second trial. Court of Queen's Bench Justice Karen Simonsen ruled that the DNA testing and conclusions used to convict Grant were fraught with difficulty and that a key witness was unreliable.
Ongoing Legal Proceedings and Background
Grant, who has a substantial criminal record including previous sexual assault convictions, is currently suing the Manitoba government for wrongful conviction. He is seeking $8.5 million in damages related to his imprisonment for the Derksen case.
The recent Vancouver charges represent another chapter in Grant's lengthy involvement with Canada's justice system. The Downtown Eastside incident occurred in one of Vancouver's most vulnerable neighborhoods, raising concerns about public safety and the monitoring of individuals with extensive criminal histories.
As the legal process unfolds in Vancouver, the case continues to highlight the complexities of forensic evidence, wrongful conviction claims, and the challenges of ensuring community safety while respecting legal acquittals. The Derksen family, who endured decades of uncertainty about their daughter's murder, now see the suspect in that case facing new serious charges in a different province.
