WESTLOCK – The 20-year-old man who faces a second-degree murder charge in relation to the June 2020 death of a 41-year-old Westlock resident will be back in court in next month, with his lawyer expecting a two-day preliminary hearing before the case ever goes to trial
In Westlock Provincial Court Sept. 14, Eddy Michael Trindle’s lawyer Gordon Collins asked Judge Peter Ayotte to set the case over to Oct. 5 — Trindle has yet to enter a plea. During the brief 90-second court appearance Collins did not ask for Trindle, who’s currently locked up at the Peace River Correctional Centre, to be made available over CCTV. Ultimately, Judge Ayotte issued a warrant to hold on Trindle, while dates for a preliminary hearing and pre-trial conference are expected to be set at his next court appearance.
“I have not completed the review of the disclosure and am asking for two more weeks. I’m hoping to have the form done for the preliminary inquiry and at the present time it looks like it will be two days and we’d have to have a PTC (pre-trial conference),” said Collins.
During Trindle’s initial, three-minute court appearance June 22 via CCTV from the Edmonton Remand Centre, Judge Michèle Collinson agreed to add Mable Alook to a no-contact order with Trindle as Crown prosecutor Barry Loutit said the woman “is a potential witness in this matter.”
Case background
Following a lengthy, 24-month investigation by the Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit, Trindle was charged with second-degree murder June 7 and arrested while a serving inmate at the ERC.
At 10:30 a.m. June 9, 2020, Westlock RCMP received a call that a body had been found in the front lobby of one of the Westlock Estates buildings at 10540-103rd Street. The RCMP Major Crimes Unit was called in to assist and interviewed area residents, while a canine team searched the neighbourhood.
An autopsy was conducted June 11, 2020, by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Edmonton and RCMP confirmed the death was a homicide. As part of the June 9 release announcing the charge against Trindle, RCMP revealed that the victim was 41-year-old Westlock resident Barry Wheadon — until then the name of the victim had not been released.
