Jurors deliberate in highway shooting trial of two men
Jury begins weighing evidence in second-degree murder case stemming from August 2024 shooting east of Calgary.
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A jury has begun deliberating in the second-degree murder trial of Arthur Penner and Elijah Strawberry, who are accused of shooting a stranger on a southern Alberta highway who had stopped to check on a burning vehicle.
The victim, Colin Hough, worked for Rocky View County and was shot on a road east of Calgary on August 6, 2024. He died shortly after in hospital.
Crown prosecutors argue that all the evidence points to only Penner and Strawberry as responsible. The defence counters that the shooters cannot be identified because their faces were covered.
The incident involved two separate shootings. Matthew Andres, a power company worker, was shot and wounded through the arm when two men drove up to him. The assailants then took his truck but it got stuck. When Hough arrived minutes later to investigate, he was shot and his vehicle was also taken.
On Friday, Court of King's Bench Justice Shane Parker reminded jurors to keep an open mind and focus only on the evidence presented during the three-week trial.
The case reflects the unpredictable dangers that can emerge from roadside interactions across Alberta highways.