Ryan Lane murder trial over custody dispute between parents: Crown
Meghan Grant | CBC News | Posted: March 14, 2016 11:08 AM | Last Updated: March 14, 2016
Sheena Cuthill and brothers Timothy and Wilhelm Rempel charged with 1st-degree murder
Right before Ryan Lane was murdered over an alleged custody battle for his child, his father begged him not to meet up with a mystery caller, a Calgary court has heard.
The mother of Lane's child, Sheena Cuthill, is on trial for first-degree murder, along with her husband Tim Rempel and his brother, Wilhelm, who are also on trial facing the same charge.
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Ryan Lane's father, Bruce, is the first witness to testify at their trial.
The mystery caller told Ryan — who lived with his father — to come alone to a parking lot just before midnight on Feb. 6, 2012 to sign papers that would allow him more access to his daughter.
It was just hours after Ryan had his first visit with the girl in two years — and he was the happiest he had seen him in two years, Bruce Lane testified.
Grabbing Ryan by his shoulders, his dad begged him not to meet up with whoever had told his son a "bullshit story about access."
"Somebody's jacking with you," Bruce Lane testified he told his son. "That's when I started freaking out."
Bruce told the jury his son said: "What's he going to do, stab me or something?"
"And I said: 'You don't know.'"
So excited to see more of his daughter, Ryan Lane insisted on leaving. His father followed in another car. He watched Ryan get into a red truck that drove away with his son inside.
'Joyous and tragic' day
Recovered text messages will show that planning to kill Lane was in the works for weeks, if not months, according to the prosecution opening statement to the jury.
Feb. 6, 2012 was "joyous and ultimately tragic" for Lane, prosecutor Tom Buglas told the jury, as Lane visited with the girl for the first time in two years at a Chuck-E-Cheese.
"Ryan Lane was purposefully murdered to keep him from seeing his daughter," he said, noting that Lane was fighting Cuthill's court application for sole custody.
That same day, Buglas told the jury text messages will show that Tim Rempel sought permission from Cuthill to kill Lane.
The Rempel brothers called Lane before midnight, and lured him to a parking lot, according to Buglas. When he got in the red truck, Wilhelm drove away with Tim following in his red Jeep.
DNA from Lane was found in both vehicles, according to the prosecution, though in their first interview with police, the brothers both denied ever having met Lane.
Body burned beyond recognition
For nine months, police searched for Lane. In November 2012, what is believed to be his remains were found in a burn barrel in a remote rural area near Beiseker.
The remains were so "completely" burned they can only be identified as a "young adult human" but Lane's class ring and a piece of his cell phone were found in the barrel.
Text messages between Cuthill and others will show that as early as November 2011 — the date of the first family court hearing — there was discussion of killing Lane, said Buglas.
Cell phone records, video surveillance, recorded phone calls, DNA and recovered text messages will all make up the Crown's evidence against the trio.
In one wiretapped phone call, Wilhelm tells his mother details of their interaction with Lane that night, Buglas told the jury.
Lane was last seen on the morning of Feb. 7, 2012, near Country Hills Boulevard.
Cuthill was arrested in November 2012 and charged, along with the Rempel brothers.
The trial is set for six weeks, but isn't expected to take the full amount of time.
Senior defence lawyers Alain Hepner, Allan Fay and Jim Lutz represent Cuthill, Tim Rempel and Wilhelm Rempel, respectively.