A 12-member jury in Calgary convicted Arthur Wayne Penner and Elijah Blake Strawberry of second-degree murder and two counts of armed robbery on May 30, 2026.
The verdict followed a multi-week trial at the Court of King's Bench in Alberta.
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The charges stem from the fatal shooting of 45-year-old Rocky View County worker Colin Hough on August 6, 2024.
Hough was killed and FortisAlberta surveyor Matthew Andres was wounded in a roadside attack on a rural road east of Calgary.
Prosecution Presented Circumstantial Case
Crown prosecutor Photini Papadatou described the case as a complex puzzle built on forensic evidence linking the defendants to the scene and Hough's stolen vehicle.
“It's the Crown's position that the offences before you involve two shooters, two guns, two stolen vehicles, two robberies, one death and both these men are responsible,” Papadatou told the jury.
The prosecution detailed how the suspects torched their own disabled truck before shooting Andres and killing Hough to steal their work vehicles.
Papadatou argued that the two men acted together during the carjacking, making them equally liable for Hough's death.
“In killing Mr. Hough, they acted together, they both shot him, they shot him multiple times and their actions, in these circumstances, would equate to second-degree murder,” she said.
Defense lawyers challenged the lack of direct evidence identifying which defendant fired the fatal shots.
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Alexandra Seaman, representing Penner, acknowledged the tragedy but urged the jury not to let emotion replace the burden of proof.
“No one is able to tell you who did it in this case,” Seaman said. “This puzzle has too many missing pieces to reveal a reliable picture.”
Rebecca Snukal, counsel for Strawberry, noted that no eyewitness placed her client at the scene.
“You didn't hear any witness say that man was at that scene … there's no photo lineups, no moment where someone pointed at Mr. Strawberry,” Snukal said.
The defense argued that alternative scenarios could reasonably explain the evidence.
Justice Shane Parker had previously withdrawn an attempted murder charge regarding Andres due to insufficient evidence.
The two men face mandatory life sentences with a minimum of 25 years. A sentencing date to determine parole ineligibility will be set on October 16, 2026.
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Both defense lawyers have requested Gladue reports prior to final sentencing arguments.
