Car tied to murders found ablaze, court told

Firefighter testifies he was unable to find licence plates, VIN number on vehicle

When Emma Deakin glanced out the window of her rural property just northeast of Calgary nearly three years ago, she couldn’t help but notice something out of place.

“I was just walking through my living room and I just noticed (something) out of the corner of my eye,” Deakin told Crown prosecutor Greg Piper.

“I looked out the window of my house and I noticed a burning vehicle,” Deakin testified Tuesday at the trial of two men charged in a double homicide.

Deakin, who at the time lived near the corner of Country Hills Boulevard N.E. and Range Road 285 just outside city limits, said she rushed to the scene.

“I saw what looked to be a silver sedan … engulfed in flames,” she said.

“I drove as close as I could, I just wanted to make sure there was no one in or around it and then I called 911.”

Deakin’s emergency call was made at 8:44 p.m. on May 21, 2017, less than an hour after Calgarians Colin Reitberger, 23, and Anees Amr, 26, were fatally shot in a Real Canadian Superstore parking lot off 130th Avenue S.E.

Christian Ouellette, 23, faces two charges of first-degree murder in the execution-style killings. His alleged accomplice, Blais Delaire, 28, is accused of two charges of manslaughter with a firearm.

In her opening address to Justice Earl Wilson on Monday, co-prosecutor Katherine Love said it’s the Crown’s theory that Ouellette was the gunman and the driver of the burned-out Pontiac G6 discovered by Deakin.

Rockyview County firefighter Glenn Jefferies said a crew of four arrived shortly after Deakin’s emergency call to quell the blaze.

Jefferies said they often look for licence plates in vehicle fires to help the RCMP identify an owner.

“We looked for a licence plate but were unable to find it,” he said.

“We also looked for the VIN number located by the driver’s dash,” Jefferies said of the vehicle identification number imprinted in all cars. “In both cases we were unable to do so due to the fire damage, or it being taken off.”

According to a statement of agreed facts, a secondary VIN was located and matched the licence number provided by an eyewitness to the shooting.

Meanwhile, Reitberger’s father, Dean, who stormed from the courtroom swearing at the accused on Monday as HAWCS helicopter video of the victims’ prone bodies was shown in court, apologized on Tuesday for his outburst.

“It was no disrespect to you or the court,” the senior Reitberger told Wilson. “It’s just my son, and it’s pretty emotional. I apologize.”

The trial continues Wednesday.

I drove as close as I could, I just wanted to make sure there was no one in or around it and then I called 911.