The parents of a drowned toddler had their first appearance in Morinville Provincial Court Thursday morning.
The parents of a drowned toddler had their first appearance in Morinville Provincial Court Thursday morning.
Robin and Trevor MacDonald are jointly charged by the Morinville RCMP with failing to provide the necessaries of life to their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Jade MacDonald.
The toddler drowned last summer, an event that shook the small community.
Jade had been playing with her siblings at the park in The Lakes neighbourhood of Morinville on July 25, 2015 when she went missing. An RCMP officer found her unresponsive in the water of a nearby storm water pond.
Despite efforts to save her life, she was pronounced dead by EMS.
The court summons, served on June 29, 2016, shows that the charges extend beyond the date of her death, spanning a period of over a year.
The summons reads that Robin and Trevor MacDonald “between the 1st day of June, 2014 and the 25th day of July, 2015 at Morinville, Alberta did fail without lawful excuse to provide the necessaries of life to Jade Ora MacDonald, a person under their charge.”
Chief Crown prosecutor Brandy Shaw, who is the lead prosecutor on the case, could not comment on the charges or the time frame established, saying that the file is ongoing and before the courts.
The MacDonalds have not yet entered a plea.
During the couple's first appearance, Aug. 4, the Crown elected to proceed by indictment.
The MacDonalds' next court appearance will be Sept. 8, 2016. At this time, they are expected to elect a trial by judge, in either provincial court or Court of Queen's Bench, or by judge and jury in Court of Queen's Bench.
