Skip to content

Father, son accused of killing Metis hunters ask Alberta court again for bail

20210316150312-09221d98bf26b602af95a983e65a3a1408e98c7bbe77a209d67d461b8d86874a

EDMONTON — An Alberta judge is to rule Friday on whether two men charged with killing two Metis hunters will be granted bail.

Roger Bilodeau, 57, and his son Anthony Bilodeau, 32, both face two counts of second-degree murder.

Jake Sansom, 39, and his uncle Maurice Cardinal, 57, were shot to death last March on a rural road near Glendon, northeast of Edmonton.

Family and friends have said they were out hunting to feed their families at the time.

RCMP said a verbal confrontation escalated into a fight between the occupants of two vehicles when the shooting happened.

The Crown decided to proceed with a direct indictment in the case, which eliminated the need for a preliminary hearing. A trial is to begin in St. Paul on May 25.

The accused men were denied bail last summer and applied for a bail review.

A second bail hearing was held Tuesday in Edmonton, but details cannot be revealed due to a publication ban.

During the hearing, about 40 people gathered outside the courthouse as two people sang and played drums. A man also held a sign that read: "Justice for Jake & Morris."

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Robert Graesser ordered the accused men to appear in person in court for his decision on Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 16, 2021.

The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said Cardinal was Sansom's nephew.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks