Joshua Frank’s lawyer suggested to a Red Deer court that her client is not a killer, but that he had been framed by Jason Klaus.
To make her point, Frank’s lawyer, Tonii Roulston, spent the day focusing on alleged lies and a love triangle involving both accused and Klaus’ fiancée.
Klaus and Frank both face first-degree murder and arson charges. In December 2013, Gordon, Sandra and Monica Klaus died. Their Castor area farm house burned to the ground.
READ MORE: Three people dead after Alberta house fire
After an eight-month investigation, Klaus and Frank were charged with the crimes. They had both confessed to undercover police officers that the pair had planned the killings because Klaus was worried about his father discovering forged checks written to Jason Klaus.
Frank confessed to undercover cops he had gone into the Klaus home and shot Jason’s parents, Gordon and Sandra, and his sister, Monica. He also confessed he shot the family dog outside the home and Frank then burned down the house.
READ MORE: Court hears Jason Klaus confessed he was involved in family’s central Alberta murder
At trial, Klaus changed his story. He said Frank was only supposed to steal a truck, and that killing the family was Frank’s idea and Klaus didn’t say anything because Frank threatened to kill him if he told police.
Roulston took aim at those claims as she cross-examined Klaus.
Klaus has told police several versions of what happened with his family.
Roulston highlighted many of these discrepancies and asked Klaus why his stories differed and which were true. She suggested her client didn’t have a motive to kill the Klaus family. He hardly knew them.
Roulston then said, “I’m suggesting you are the one who went into that farm house and shot your mother, father and your sister and then your dog. Not Mr. Frank, you.”
“I completely disagree with you,” Klaus replied.
“Then you started the fire to cover up your actions,” Roulston said.
Again, Klaus denied the suggestions saying, “No. That isn’t true.”
Roulston also asked about a love triangle involving Klaus, Frank and Klaus’ fiancée.
When she asked about suggestions Klaus’ fiancée was sleeping with Frank, Klaus said, “I had heard she was. I’m trying to find out if he’s sleeping with my fiancée. That’s fairly important to me.”
Later, Frank’s lawyer introduced intercepted phone conversations between Klaus and and his fiancée where Klaus was talking about Frank.
In the profanity laced conversation, Klaus said, “When I see Josh, it’s not going to be pretty.”
Klaus later said, “He’s got a surprise coming to him.”
READ MORE: Central Alberta man recants confession made to undercover RCMP about family’s murder
Roulston then alluded to another part of the love triangle. She asked Klaus about times when Frank was 14 years old. Roulston asked about several incidents including one where Klaus allegedly requested a sexual act and then sexually assaulted Frank.
Klaus vehemently denied the suggestion.
His lawyer said the phone conversations and the claims of sexual assault while Frank was 14 paint a picture of a man who should not be afraid of Frank.
Instead, Roulston suggested the love triangle angered Klaus and he decided to try to frame Frank for the murders of his parents. Klaus denied that too.
His cross examination continues on Friday, for a fourth straight day.
Josh Frank has yet to testify.
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