The trial for three people accused in the murder of Ryan Lane in 2012 continued in a Calgary courtroom on Monday with more testimony from Sheena Cuthill.
Cuthill, her husband Tim Rempel and his brother Will Rempel are all charged with first-degree murder in the death of Lane.
Lane was last seen in the early morning hours of Tuesday, February 7, 2012 and his remains were found during a search of an area near Beiseker in June.
He disappeared just hours after being reunited with his daughter after he received a phone call from someone claiming they could help with an ongoing custody dispute.
Police believe Lane was lured to a northwest location where he was kidnapped and then killed.
All three of the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and last Friday, Cuthill took the stand in her own defence.
She testified that “None of this was my idea” when asked if she ever discussed plans to murder Lane.
On Monday, Cuthill said she only spoke to her brother-in-law, Will Rempel on one occasion before Lane was murdered and that an idea to talk to Lane and intimidate him into backing off on the custody issue came up at a family gathering.
She told the court that Will Rempel suggested he would send ‘his Mexican friends’ to talk to Ryan and that she knew it would be a forceful discussion but that Lane wouldn’t get hurt.
When asked if she had any idea what happened to Ryan Lane, she replied ‘no.’
The Crown took over questioning in the case on Monday afternoon and Cuthill said she was in charge of deciding if her husband would approach Lane to intimidate him so he would drop the custody battle and leave his family.
Crown prosecutor Tom Buglas asked Cuthill if she thought about what it might take to get this to succeed? Cuthill said "I was expecting there was going to be a little rough-housing. I assumed there was going to be some fighting...I didn't think what they were going to do to make it succeed."
The cross examination of Cuthill wrapped up on Monday afternoon and Tim Rempel will take the stand on Tuesday.
The trial is expected to last six weeks.
(With files from Ina Sidhu)
