Update: Missing St. Albert couple's son made audiotape to appeal to Travis Vader's 'better nature'

Tony Blais reports from the courthouse.

The eldest son of an elderly St. Albert couple who disappeared in 2010 made an audiotaped personal plea to accused killer Travis Vader for the RCMP to use in questioning him.

Testifying at Vader’s first-degree murder trial Tuesday, Bret McCann, 61, said it was his belief that the Mounties were going to use the 2010 recorded message "to appeal to Vader’s better nature."

In it, he says his parents had been missing for more than two weeks and he understood that Vader might have some information "as to their whereabouts."

He then goes on to talk about himself and his family and says to Vader that he just wants to appeal to him to "help me out here."

McCann also says that the disappearance of his parents is "just agony" for their "devastated" and "frantic" family and tells Vader that he knows deep down that he is a "decent man."

He ends the message by asking Vader to please tell the police any information he has about where his parents are: "Please Travis … please just tell us."

Under cross-examination, defence lawyer Brian Beresh asked McCann if it was true what he said in the plea about getting a message from Vader’s sister. McCann replied he didn’t recall, but it must have been true.

"I don’t know why I would make that up," said McCann, adding he also remembers getting a Facebook message from someone claiming to be Vader’s son.

The cross-examination became testy over some of Beresh’s questions and, at one point, Beresh demanded that McCann refer to Vader as "Mr. Vader."

McCann also testified about his last night with his parents, saying he and his wife went to the St. Albert home of Lyle McCann, 78, and Marie McCann, 77, on July 2, 2010.

Court has heard the McCanns were last seen leaving a Superstore in St. Albert on July 3, 2010.

Two days later, their motorhome was found ablaze and abandoned at a campground by Minnow Lake near Edson.

Court heard earlier from the couple’s daughter, Trudy Holder, who said her parents were supposed to pick up her and her daughter at the Abbotsford airport on July 10, 2010, but they never showed up.

The 2006 Hyundai Tucson SUV they were towing was found in a remote wooded area east of Edson.

Court heard police found blood spatter from the McCanns on items in the SUV, as well as Vader’s DNA, blood and fingerprints.

Beresh has accused the RCMP of suffering from "tunnel vision" in their pursuit of his 44-year-old client and said it resulted in them failing to pursue other suspects, whose names he said will be revealed during the trial.

He also told court there is no proof the McCanns are dead and said expert witnesses will raise questions about the blood, DNA and fingerprint evidence that is allegedly linked to Vader.