RCMP insist murder suspect who fled after man's fatal shooting is still in Alberta

Elijah Blake Strawberry, 28, is seen in photos provided by RCMP. (Courtesy: RCMP)

Mounties say the remaining suspect being sought in a deadly roadside shooting near Calgary is believed to still be in the province.

Strathmore RCMP say they don’t believe Elijah Blake Strawberry has fled to another province.

"The information that our investigational teams have and they're operating on is he is in Alberta," RCMP Staff Sgt. Mark Wielgosz told reporters Friday.

"We don't want to alert him to what we may or may not know in the investigation. We don't want Mr. Strawberry to potentially flee to other areas putting our investigation behind him."

A warrant has been issued for Strawberry's arrest on a charge of second-degree murder in the death of Colin Hough and a charge of attempted murder of another man.

The two were on the job when they were shot on a country road east of Calgary on Aug 6. Hough was with Rock View County and the suspects fled in the county truck.

With help from Edmonton police, Mounties later arrested 35-year-old Arthur Wayne Penner and charged him with first-degree murder in the death of Hough, from Airdrie, along with attempted murder of the second worker.

Penner made his first court appearance on Thursday and will be back before a judge Tuesday.

Strawberry, 28, is described as six feet one inch tall, weighing 169 pounds with brown hair, a light complexion, and several arm and face tattoos. Police say he is considered armed and dangerous.

"It goes without saying there's going to be a heightened state of vigilance whenever they may encounter Mr. Strawberry," said Wielgosz.

"The safety of our officers are a concern, but all major measures are taken to ensure their safety and to ensure we employ the appropriate tactics and methods to bring this to a safe conclusion."

Police believe the shooting was motivated solely by robbery.

They say the vehicle the suspects drove had been disabled, leading them to the area where both victims were shot.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Aug. 16, 2024.