Edmonton

Convicted killer Travis Vader charged with taking drugs, breaching parole during trial

Travis Vader is on trial this week for violating bail conditions, contacting a key witness, break and enter

CBC News

September 05, 2017

Travis Vader was back in an Edmonton courtroom Tuesday, charged with a number of offences allegedly committed in May 2016 while he was standing trial for double murder.

Vader is currently serving a life sentence for killing Marie and Lyle McCann.

The St. Albert seniors disappeared on a family camping trip in July 2010. Their bodies have never been found.

On Tuesday, Crown prosecutor Jim Stewart told the provincial court that Vader violated many of the conditions of his bail release during that trial.

• Travis Vader back in jail as police investigate stolen truck, copper wire
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The violations include taking illegal drugs, contacting a key prosecution witness, breaking and entering, and possessing stolen property.

High levels of methamphetamine

On Tuesday, the court heard that high levels of methamphetamine were found in the urine sample Vader provided to police officers on May 5, 2016.

Dr. Kenneth Fryatt told the court he looked at the results of Vader's urine sample and, in his opinion, Vader was using illegal drugs.

He told the court Vader explained the results by saying he was using non-prescription ephedrine, a drug often used for cold symptoms.

Dr. Fryatt told the court that answer didn't satisfy him.

He said the laboratory has processes in place to eliminate the possibility of any false positives that could show up after using legal drugs.

After Fryatt told Vader about the results of his urine sample, Vader revoked his consent to release those results to the police.

A court order was granted on May 10, 2016 authorizing Fryatt to release the results to the RCMP.

Break and enter, possession of stolen property

That same day, the Crown alleges Vader also breached his bail conditions by not returning to his hotel after court was finished.

RCMP Sgt. Patrick Frey said he got a call on May 10 saying that Vader's electronic tracking bracelet was not at his hotel.

Frey said he and several other RCMP and Edmonton police officers arrested Vader that evening in a field near Winterburn Road.

He has remained in custody since.

Vader is also charged with an alleged copper wire and truck theft at a west-end industrial park.

The trial on these new charges is scheduled to run until Friday.

Vader's lawyer, Nate Whitling, declined to say whether or not his client would testify.

Vader is currently appealing his double manslaughter conviction.