Suspect in Nanton, Alta., stabbing makes first court appearance

A man accused of murder in connection with a stabbing in Nanton in late December made his first court appearance on Wednesday.

FORT MACLEOD, Alta. -

Ryan Kelly Sutherland appeared in Fort Macleod provincial court, via CCTV from the Calgary Remand Centre, for charges stemming from an alleged stabbing attack in a Nanton home late last month.

Police were called to the scene, near 21st Street on Dec. 27 and found 54-year-old Nanton resident Judith Hall dead at the scene.

Her husband, 55-year-old Searle Hall, was found injured along with 36-year-old Chad Haase and 32-year-old Alana Beaulieu.

The three were taken to hospital to treat their injuries.

Police found Sutherland injured at the scene as well and later charged him with the attack.

This isn’t Sutherland’s first run-in with the law.

He’s currently facing charges in two other Nanton cases including theft of a motor vehicle, theft under $5,000 and assault.

But Sutherland’s criminal history goes back even further than that.

He has an extensive criminal history in Manitoba where he was a member of a street gang for several years.

His record from Manitoba includes aggravated assault, assaulting a peace officer and several counts of breach of recognizance.

In one case in Manitoba, where he was convicted of stabbing his cousin during a drinking party, the court found Sutherland had a “lengthy history of violence, substance abuse and criminal activity. And that he’s at ‘high risk to re-offend.’”

Sutherland’s lawyer successfully motioned for today’s court appearance to be adjourned to a later date.

He’s set to make his next appearance on Jan. 18 at Fort Macleod provincial court.