Penner, Strawberry guilty in Colin Hough murder near Calgary — Global News Calgary
Arthur Penner and Elijah Strawberry were found guilty on Saturday in the roadside shooting death of Colin Hough near Calgary, after jurors deliberated for 14 hours. The verdicts ended the trial on second-degree murder and armed robbery, and both men now face a mandatory life sentence.
Laurie Hough said, "I love you" to prosecutor Photini Popadatou after the verdict. Penner and Strawberry were also found guilty of 2 counts of armed robbery, and the jury was asked to recommend when they should become eligible for parole.
Colin Hough verdict in Calgary
Hough was 45 when he was shot and killed on Aug. 6, 2024 on a rural road east of Calgary. He worked for Rocky View County, and the killing drew the jury into evidence that included video footage from a nearby semi-trailer driver showing Hough’s final minutes.
A.45-calibre bullet was found where he collapsed. The physical evidence also tied the scene to the second victim in the case, with a nine-millimetre shell casing found near where Matthew Andres was wounded.
Matthew Andres at roadside scene
Andres, a FortisAlberta surveyor, was shot through the arm at the same location. He told the court that one of the men pointed a gun at his head and demanded his keys, but said the two men were masked and he could not positively identify them as Penner and Strawberry.
That left the jury to weigh the shooting of Hough alongside the robbery attempts involving both vehicles. One armed robbery involved stealing Hough’s vehicle, while the second involved trying to take Andres’s vehicle.
Shane Parker ruling on charges
Court of King’s Bench Justice Shane Parker withdrew the attempted murder charge and acquitted the men on that count. The conviction on second-degree murder means Penner and Strawberry each face a mandatory life sentence, with parole eligibility still to be set.
The jury’s recommendations on parole eligibility ranged from 10 years to 25 years. A sentencing date will be determined on Oct. 16, and both defense lawyers sought additional reports before sentencing, with Rebecca Snukul requesting a forensic mental assessment and a Gladue report for Strawberry, and Alex Seaman requesting a Gladue report for Penner.
For Hough’s family and for the two robbery victims built into the case, the verdict fixes criminal responsibility but leaves the parole clock for later. Oct. 16 is the next step in the courtroom process.
