Jury selection began Thursday in a Calgary courtroom for two men accused of killing a Fortis Alberta employee and critically wounding another man in a shocking rural shooting last summer.
Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and Elijah Blake Strawberry, 28, are charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Colin Hough, a Rocky View County employee who was fatally shot on August 6, 2024, on a rural road approximately 7 kilometres east of Calgary.
The incident unfolded after investigators say the two accused were involved in a collision while driving a stolen truck. They allegedly set the vehicle on fire at the intersection of Range Road 282 and Township Road 250 before attempting to steal a vehicle belonging to a Fortis Alberta worker who was in the area conducting routine maintenance.
Good Samaritan Stops to Help, Becomes Victim
Hough, working nearby, noticed the burning truck and stopped to render assistance—a decision that would cost him his life. When emergency responders arrived at the scene, both accused men were found with gunshot wounds. However, Hough was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other victim was transported to hospital for treatment of serious injuries sustained in the shooting.
The incident triggered an intense provincewide manhunt. Penner was apprehended five days later, but authorities spent more than a month searching for Strawberry, who had a documented violent criminal history. He was eventually arrested on the O'Chiese First Nation near Rocky Mountain House in mid-September.
Both men remain charged with second-degree murder in Hough's death and attempted murder in the shooting of the second victim. Neither appeared in court during Thursday's jury selection proceedings.
The trial is set to commence Monday in Calgary Court of Justice, with proceedings expected to draw significant public and media attention given the severity of the charges and the circumstances surrounding the case.
This report is based on information provided by Global Calgary.