2014-10-10 Travis Vader, once accused in disappearance of Alberta seniors, a free man | CBC News
Published by Bretton McCann,
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Travis Vader, once accused in disappearance of Alberta seniors, a free man
Vader was once accused in slayings of St. Albert seniors Lyle and Marie McCann
UpdatedOct 08, 2014 11:45 PM MT CBC News- RAW: Travis Vader video
media duration: 3:16play video - RAW: Travis Vader's lawyer video
media duration: 2:47play video - RAW: Crown prosecutor on Travis Vader video
media duration: 3:52play video
Travis Vader, the man once accused in the murders of St. Albert, Alta., couple Lyle and Marie McCann, waited for a ride from family after he was dropped-off by corrections staff on the side of a street in downtown Edmonton Wednesday night.
It was the first time Vader was out of custody since he was arrested in July 2010.
"Feels good to be out, for sure. It’s been a long time," he told a small group of reporters while standing beside a pile of belongings which included a box full of legal documents.
"How do you explain four years of your life gone? I just want to get home and see my family."
Earlier Wednesday, Vader was found found not guilty of all nine unrelated theft, drug and firearm charges that kept him behind bars even after the first-degree murder charges were stayed earlier this year.
Vader said that he knew nothing about the McCanns other than what was reported in the news. He said it feels "horrible" to think people believe he is responsible for their deaths.
"What do my children think? What they went through? It’s not me. It’s my family. What they’ve been through."
Vader said he is hoping to return to his old job as a drilling consultant.
McCanns' bodies have never been found
Vader's lawyer Nathan Whitling said it was unfortunate that his client had to spend so much time in custody, only to have been found not guilty. He said Vader now plans to live with his family and resume his life.
"His intention is to get his old job back and to live a very quiet life."
The McCanns were last seen alive in July 2010 at a gas station in their hometown of St. Albert. The seniors were on their first day of a road trip to British Columbia.
Their burned-out motorhome was found two days later in a remote area near Edson, Alta. Their bodies have never been found.
Vader was arrested on outstanding warrants not tied to the McCanns' disappearance on July 19, 2010. On Aug. 31, 2010, he was named as a suspect in the case, but murder charges were not laid until April 2012.
The murder charges were stayed against Vader on March 19. The Crown has one year from that date to reactivate the charges.
However, Whitling believes that it would be "highly unusual" if that happened.
Last spring, Vader filed a $1 million wrongful prosecution lawsuit against the RCMP, Crown prosecutors and jail guards.