Douglas Garland, the 'person of interest' in the disappearance of Nathan O'Brien and his grandparents Alvin and Kathy Liknes, is facing another identity theft charge and will stay in custody until Friday.

Garland, 54, is currently in police custody after having been arrested last week and charged with identity theft.

He appeared in court via CCTV where an addition identity theft charge was laid against him.

He has hired Kim Ross to represent him in the charges.

The Crown and defence agreed that Garland could be released, but he wouldn't be released on Wednesday. He is scheduled back in court on Friday to discuss terms of his release.

Garland has had a history of crime, dating back to being charged with having a drug operation on his farm. He spent much of the 90s on the run from those charges, living under the name of Matthew Hartley, a 14-year-old from Cardston who was killed in a car crash in 1990.

He was finally caught and served time for that offence in 1999.

Garland was found in possession of a bank card bearing Matthew Hartley’s name last week and police promptly arrested him.

He is considered a ‘person of interest’ in the case of the missing Nathan O’Brien, Alvin Liknes, and Kathy Liknes, because his parents own the farm where scores of police are currently searching for the trio.

Police were led to the farm because a green pickup truck, which they believe was spotted near the Liknes’ home around the time of their disappearance, was found at the property.

There is also a connection between Garland and the Liknes family; his sister Patti Garland is the common law partner of Alvin Liknes’ son Allen.

Police say they are following up on a number of leads, but Garland remains the only ‘person of interest’ at this point.

Meanwhile, officers are continuing to comb through a massive rural area which includes the Garland family acreage as well as a field, a pond, and a farm house.

Police say they found an abandoned black SUV stuck in the mud, but have not released any details about what they’ve found.

They hope to find any amount of evidence that will point them to where the missing trio could be.