Lawyer for accused in deaths of Calgary mother, daughter wants due process

The lawyer for a man accused of killing a Calgary woman and her five-yearold daughter says he’s worried the case will be tried in the media and not in a courtroom.

“We do have a principle in this country that people are tried in a courtroom before a jury of their peers and we would like that to be the way this proceeds,” defence lawyer Gavin Wolch told reporters after his client, Edward Downey, made a brief appearance by closedcircuit television on Wednesday.

Police announced first-degree murder charges against Downey last Thursday in the deaths of Sara Baillie and Taliyah Marsman.

Baillie, who was 34, was found dead in her northwest Calgary home on July 11 and an Amber Alert was issued for Taliyah. The little girl’s body was found three days later in a rural area east of Calgary.

Downey looked straight ahead during his brief appearance and walked briskly out of the room once it was over.

Wolch said he wants to move quickly to trial.

He added that he is concerned about the amount of information about his client that’s been in the news — from details about his criminal past to images of him being led by police officers in a blue jumpsuit.

“I can tell you that he was not on any form of parole or release at the time” he was charged, Wolch said. “We want this to be something that is tried in court with due process.”

Downey’s next court appearance is set for Aug. 3.