Monday, Apr 23, 2012 05:15 pm

By: Ryan Tumilty and Megan Sarrazin

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  CHARGES LAID - Bret McCann addresses the media on Monday afternoon at RCMP Alberta headquarters in Edmonton during a news conference where it was announced police have charged Travis Vader with first-degree murder in the case of missing St. Albert couple Lyle and Marie McCann, who disappeared two years ago while on a road-trip to visit family in B.C.

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Almost two years after the disappearance of St. Albert couple Lyle and Marie McCann, Travis Vader has been charged with first-degree murder in their deaths.

Vader, 40, was the only suspect identified by RCMP in the couple’s disappearance nearly two years ago. He was arrested on the weekend at the Edmonton Remand Centre, where he was being held on unrelated charges. Police confirmed the charges today.

Police were saying little about why they have charged Vader now, after a 22-month-long investigation into the couple’s disappearance.

Staff Sgt. Shawn LeMay said he understands the intense interest in the couple’s disappearance, but said all the information about what led to the arrest will come out in time.

"Understandably the public has many questions about what happened to the McCanns. Those questions will be answered in due course through the court process."

The McCanns were last seen on July 3, 2010 when they departed St. Albert for a vacation to British Columbia. They failed to reach their destination on July 10 and family members reported the couple missing.

The burned-out frame of their motorhome was found near Edson on July 5, while the SUV they were towing was found a few weeks later. Vader was arrested about the same time the SUV was found and has been held on a series of unrelated charges that have been winding their way through the court process.

The majority of those matters were set to come to an end next month setting the stage for Vader’s potential release. While he was named as a suspect early on, Vader was never officially charged in any way with the couple’s disappearance until this past weekend.

Bret McCann, the couple’s son, said the family was relieved by the charges and hopeful they indicated a step forward.

"We are very optimistic that this will bring us one step closer to finding out what happened to our parents."

McCann said the past two years, not knowing what had happened to his parents, have been unbearable.

"If you are in this position and you don’t know what happened to a loved one, I don’t know if you ever get over it," he said. "It is always in the back of your mind. For the last couple of years we have been doing everything we can to keep this in the public eye."

McCann said while the charges represented an important step forward, the information the family really wants is the whereabouts of their parents.

"We still don’t know where our parents are and several years ago with help from the community of St. Albert we raised $60,000 that is still available. If there is anyone out there who knows anything about where to find my parents, we urge them to come forward."

LeMay indicated that the investigation is still open and ongoing. Anyone with any information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or the St. Albert RCMP at 780-458-7700.

Vader makes his first court appearance in Edson on May 15.