Two Alberta men are facing first-degree murder charges in connection to the death of a man who went missing after a house party near Springbank at the end of March.
Nick Lush, 32, was reported missing by his family after he failed to turn up following a party on March 29, 2015.
Cody Kenneth Bauer, 24, of Calgary, and Kristopher Goerzen, 22, of Brooks, have both been charged with first-degree murder in connection to Lush's death.
RCMP say an assault that was reported along the Trans-Canada Highway near the Hermitage overpass the day after Lush went missing is related to his disappearance.
Bauer and Goerzen were arrested on Sunday morning and are expected to appear in Cochrane Provincial Court later in the month.
Dana Heald, a friend of the family, read a statement on the arrests on Monday saying…
On Behalf of Denise, her children and the entire Lush family, I would like to say thank you for all your prayers and support over the past week. It has meant a lot to Denise and her family.
Two men have been arrested and charged with the murder of Nick. This is the worst outcome that we could possibly imagine.
This is heartbreaking and has devastated the family. Nothing that happens to these two will ever be enough to pay for the sadness and pain this family is going through. He was a husband, a father, a son, a cousin.
Nick will never be able to watch his children grow, Noah will never be able to go fishing with his dad and the girls will never be able to have their dad walk them down the aisle at their weddings. Denise will never feel the arms of her husband and her best friend, around her again.
To say that this is unfair is a huge understatement. There are no words to express what this family is feeling right now and the hurt, the devastation, and the anger, in the months to come.
Lush worked in construction and was the father of three children, aged twelve, nine and six.
Heald says Lush comes from a large family and that they are supporting each other while they wait for word on the recovery of his body.
“I believe so that Cody has revealed where Nick is and that the police will be doing the recovery of the body today,” said Heald. “We’re glad that this didn’t go on for months. Denise is very happy that she doesn’t have to wonder for months and go through this for months and we know that it’s a long road ahead, with court and with whatever happens, that this isn’t over yet, that there’s going to be a lot that comes out that she doesn’t know about and so it’s really one day at a time, every hour at a time, every hour brings new feelings.”
RCMP say that Lush's body has not been recovered and investigators continue to search for his remains.
