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2nd man faces murder charges in shooting deaths of two Alberta hunters

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Jake Sansom (left) and his uncle Morris Cardinal are shown in a handout photo from the Facebook page "Justice for Jake and Morris." Both were shot and killed back in March while hunting moose together. A second person in Alberta has been charged in the deaths of a Cree-Metis hunter and his uncle, who were found shot to death earlier this year after family said they'd gone on a moose hunting trip. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Facebook-Justice for Jake and Morris MANDATORY CREDIT

GLENDON, Alta. — A second person in Alberta has been charged in the deaths of a Cree-Metis hunter and his uncle, who were found shot to death earlier this year after family said they'd gone on a moose hunting trip.

RCMP say further review of evidence by the Crown that was gathered during the investigation has resulted in Roger Bilodeau, 56, of Glendon, Alta., being charged with two counts of second-degree murder.

Anthony Bilodeau, 31, also of Glendon, already faces two counts of second-degree murder in the case and has pleaded not guilty.

Mounties say Jacob Sansom, 39, Maurice Cardinal, 57, were killed March 27 on a rural road near Glendon, about 200 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

They've said several shots were fired after the occupants of two vehicles got into a verbal and physical confrontation and then a third vehicle arrived.

Police say Roger Bilodeau was remanded into custody after a judicial hearing Friday and will be appearing in St. Paul Provincial Court on June 18.

"As there have been multiple court appearances of the first accused in this investigation, the RCMP will not be commenting further as these matters are now before the courts," RCMP said in a news release Saturday. 

Sansom's widow, Sarah Sansom, said last month that her husband's family has had a trapline in the area near Glendon for almost a century and that he knew the area well.

She said he'd been working for a company contracted by Suncor Energy, but was laid off at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple and their children lived in southern Alberta, but she said finances were tight so he drove seven hours north to hunt moose with his uncle near Bonnyville, where the family has hunting rights.

A date for Anthony Bilodeau's jury trial has not yet been set.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2020.

The Canadian Press

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