EDMONTON - The man at the centre of one of Alberta’s highest-profile murder investigations says his recent arrest is part of a harassment campaign by RCMP, in part because he has filed a million-dollar lawsuit alleging malicious prosecution and mistreatment by police, justice and correctional officials.
"They’re just looking for any reason to make a guy look bad, to incriminate a guy," said Travis Vader, speaking to the Journal from custody.
Since being publicly named a "person of interest" and then a suspect in the murders of St. Albert seniors Lyle and Marie McCann in the summer of 2010, Vader’s mugshot has become a familiar image in Alberta and the case has barely left the news.
Released from custody on unrelated charges last fall, Vader said he has been trying to find work and resume some semblance of a normal life. But he said it has been nearly impossible for him to find a job or a place to live, not only because of the high-profile charges against him but also the constant RCMP presence.
Vader’s fiancée, Sheila Gangl, describes the situation as "an ongoing war."
"Even before these charges, they were harassing him," she said.
Vader is now facing new charges over two recent incidents and remains in custody on the latest charges.
In the first case, Vader was charged with an alleged assault on his mother’s boyfriend. Gangl says she was there and the assault was only the two men’s shoulders touching. She says police would not let her write a witness statement about what she saw.
In the second incident, on Feb. 28, Vader and Gangl were arrested at a property in the Niton Junction-Carrot Creek area. Gangl said she and Vader had pulled over to watch the northern lights when RCMP arrived and arrested them at gunpoint.
In that case, Vader was charged with one count of dangerous driving and six breaches, including failing to comply with a condition "not to possess any firearms, ammunition, explosives or any weapons whatsoever," and another not to be in possession of any non-prescription drugs.
Gangl says the weapons charge related to her fishing knife and the drug allegation to a package of plastic windshield wiper tubing which police said was "meth tubing." She said they weren’t driving at the time.
"They’re trying to charge him with anything, obviously," she said. "I was there, and I know for a fact what happened."
RCMP aren’t releasing any details of the alleged breaches or responding to Gangl’s version of events.
"The only comment we would have is that we approach any type of allegations that somebody has committed criminal offences in an unbiased manner," said RCMP Insp. Gibson Glavin. "We don’t seek out to target anybody at all. We respond to breaches of the law, and that is the point where we start undertaking investigations."
He said the RCMP will present the details of the charges as evidence in court.
"It certainly wouldn’t be fair to Mr. Vader at all for us to talk about what we have in evidence, throw it out there for the public to consider," he said.
Vader was charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of the McCanns in April 2012, but the charges were stayed in March 2014, days before the case was to go to trial.
The charges were recommenced in late December 2014 and a new trial date has been set for the spring of 2016.
Vader has previously filed a million-dollar lawsuit alleging malicious prosecution against about 60 people, including RCMP officers.
Vader said he believes RCMP are "looking for a chance to get rid of me."
"I honestly think they are looking for a chance to shoot me," he said.
"If we would have made one wrong move that night, we both would’ve been shot."
Gangl describes the last few months with Vader as a "roller-coaster ride," but says she won’t stop defending him.
"It’s been really solitary, because of everything. My mom is probably the only one who’s been accepting of it," she said.
"But I’m not going to back down from something I believe in. I know he didn’t do it. I know in my heart he didn’t do it."
Vader is slated to appear in court in St. Albert Monday morning.
jpruden@edmontonjournal.com
Twitter.com/jana_pruden
