CALGARY—The fate of a man accused of murdering an Alberta couple and their 5-year-old grandson will soon be in the hands of a jury.
Douglas Garland, 57, is being tried on three counts of first-degree murder in the June 2014 disappearance of Alvin and Kathy Liknes and Nathan O’Brien.
There were 50 witnesses and 1,400 pieces of sometimes gruesome evidence in a trial that began nearly five weeks ago.
The final step before jurors are sequestered is to come today when Justice David Gates outlines instructions for their deliberations.
Garland’s lawyer, Kim Ross, suggested to the jury that the Crown was unable to forensically or scientifically place Garland at the Liknes home in Calgary.
“Our system of law presumes that the man sitting there in that box is presumed innocent until the Crown has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he’s guilty of the three counts in the indictment,” Ross said during closing arguments.
“You cannot convict Mr. Douglas Garland because you think he’s responsible for these offences. You cannot convict Mr. Douglas Garland because you think he probably did these offences.
“You can only find Mr. Douglas Garland guilty if you’re satisfied, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he caused the deaths of these three individuals — not because he sits in that box.”
The Crown has argued that Garland held a grudge against Alvin Liknes over a business deal, broke into the home and beat all three victims into submission.
The Crown alleges Garland brought the three to his farm north of Calgary where he killed them and dismembered them before burning their remains. Police found tooth and bone fragments, as well as a piece of human flesh in the ash of a burning barrel.
Police witnesses testified they found DNA on a hack saw, meat hooks and a pair of rubber boots at the property. They testified Garland’s DNA was on the inside of the boots and the DNA of the victims was on the outside.
Prosecutor Shane Parker told the jury that, without bodies, the case is largely based on circumstantial evidence, but there is nothing wrong with that.
“Circumstantial evidence is not some ugly stepsister. You all function at a high level. Trust yourselves. You have to use your common sense,” Parker said.
“This was a targeted attack, in a home, in the middle of darkness. It is not spontaneous. This was thoroughly planned domination and murder.”
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