The six-week murder trial for Ryan Lane started Monday, March 14, in Calgary.
“Ryan was an awesome individual, he never had issues with anyone, he never hated anyone – he was trying to get his daughter back, that is about it,” Lane’s best friend John Nelson told the court March 15.
The 24 year-old, originally from Cochrane, was murdered over an alleged custody battle for his daughter, Lane’s father, Bruce, told the court March 14.
The mother of Lane’s child, Sheena Cuthill, is one of the co-accused, along with her husband Tim Rempel and his brother Wilhelm Rempel – all charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in connection with Lane’s death.
“Ryan was supposed to stand in at my wedding – I got married in October 2012, I set up a memorial with a photo of Ryan and had it right next to me… he was there in spirit,” Nelson said.
Nelson and Lane had been friends for approximately 12-13 years attending the same Cochrane high school together at Bow Valley High. Nelson called Lane “a brother from another mother – one of my best friends.”
“This hurts but I am glad it is going on right now – I hope the (accused) get their time served,” Nelson commented after the trial.
Lane was reported missing in February 2012 after a visit with his daughter for the first time in two years at a Chuck E. Cheese’s in northeast Calgary. Lane and Cuthill had spilt shortly after the birth of their daughter and, in November 2011, Lane was served with a notice that Cuthill was seeking sole custody. Between November 2011 and February 2012, the issue was being handled in family law court.
Witnesses testified that Ryan received a call just before midnight on Feb. 6, 2012, from an anonymous caller from a pay phone who promised they had a way for Lane to gain more access to his daughter.
Video-gamer friend Vanessa Rae Carlson, 23, from northern Alberta testified on March 15, saying Lane was excited to see his daughter that day and she warned him to tell his father about the mysterious caller.
“Ryan was sending videos that day from the play date with (his daughter),” Carlson explained.
“He wanted to put the picture of him and his daughter for the background of his phone so he could fall asleep looking at her.”
After Lane went to meet with the caller to sign the alleged papers that would allow him more access to his daughter, Carlson said she waited up all night to hear back from Lane – but it was the last time she ever talked to him.
Bruce told the court March 14 that he warned his son not to go to the meeting, and followed his son, despite Lane protesting that he was supposed to go alone. Lane’s father watched the meeting between his son and the driver of a red pickup truck before Lane got in the truck and drove away.
Calgary Police Services searched for Lane for nine months before a break in the case. Remains were found completely burnt in a burn barrel in a remote rural area near Beiseker in November 2012. Due to the severity, the remains could only be identified as a “young adult human” but a piece of Lane’s cell phone was found, along with his class ring.
Cuthill and the Rempel brother were arrested and charged in November 2012.
The prosecution said along with video surveillance, cell phone records and DNA as evidence, they are also going to use recovered text messages to show the killing of Lane was premeditated.
An update on the “Justice for Ryan Lane” Facebook page posted on March 13 asked people to “send good vibrations and positive thoughts for the family through this time.”
The trial, with the judge and jury, is scheduled to run for six weeks but is expected to take less time.
