WESTLOCK – The 20-year-old man facing a murder charge in relation to the June 2020 death of a 41-year-old Westlock man now has a lawyer, with a second court appearance slated for mid-July.
Eddy Michael Trindle, who faces one count of second-degree murder, did not appear in Westlock Provincial Court June 29, but was represented by lawyer Gordon Collins who said he’d spoken to him at the Edmonton Remand Centre that morning and will be reviewing case disclosure “and see where I go from there.” Trindle’s first court appearance was June 22 via CCTV from the ERC.
“July 13 I think will work (for the next court date). I will work with the Crown on this and maybe I can get some preliminary disclosure,” said Collins, who was endorsed as counsel of record for that day only.
During his first brief, three-minute court appearance, Judge Michèle Collinson agreed to add Mable Alook to a no-contact order with Trindle as Crown prosecutor Barry Loutit said the woman “is a potential witness in this matter.”
Case background
On June 7 following a lengthy, 24-month investigation by the Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit, Trindle was charged with second-degree murder — when arrested he was an inmate at the ERC.
At 10:30 a.m. June 9, 2020, Westlock RCMP received a call that a body had been found in the front lobby of one of the Westlock Estates buildings at 10540-103rd Street. The RCMP Major Crimes Unit was called in to assist and interviewed area residents, while a canine team searched the neighbourhood.
An autopsy was conducted June 11, 2020, by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Edmonton and RCMP confirmed the death was a homicide. As part of the June 9 release announcing the charge against Trindle, RCMP revealed that the victim was 41-year-old Westlock resident Barry Wheadon — until then the name of the victim had not been released.
