Two men accused of killing Edmonton Mac’s clerks appear in court

EDMONTON –  Laylin Delorme and Colton Steinhauer were scheduled to appear in court Monday morning to face first-degree murder and robbery charges in the slayings of two Mac’s convenience store clerks.

Delorme appeared via CCTV in an orange jumpsuit. Crown requested the case be put off for at least a month. Defence lawyer Naeem Rauf argued for a shorter time frame. The date was set for Jan. 29, where a preliminary inquiry date is expected to be scheduled.

Steinhauer has yet to find a lawyer.

Delorme and Steinhauer, along with a 13-year-old boy, are accused of killing Karanpal Singh Bhangu and Ricky Massin Cenabre in two separate incidents during the early morning hours of Dec. 18.

The first shooting happened in Mill Woods at around 3:30 a.m. Police said 35-year-old Karanpal Singh Bhangu was shot at a Mac’s store near 32 Avenue and 82 Street. When officers arrived, they found the injured clerk and began CPR while EMS was en route. He was taken to hospital where he died from a gunshot wound to the stomach.

READ MORE: Edmontonians pay respects to murdered Mac’s store employees

The call on the second shooting came into police just minutes later.

Forty-one-year-old Cenabre, another clerk, was shot to death at a convenience store at 108 Street and 61 Avenue in the Pleasantview area.

Cenabre was found bleeding on the floor, and pronounced dead at the scene.

Police Chief Rod Knecht said after looking at surveillance video, it appeared that neither of the victims resisted during the alleged armed robberies.

The three masked suspects were spotted in west Edmonton’s Callingwood area around at 5 a.m., and a pursuit began. They were arrested when their vehicle crashed on Whitemud Drive under the Terwillegar Drive overpass.

READ MORE: Youth accused in Edmonton Mac’s murders makes brief court appearance

The 13-year-old made his second court appearance on Jan. 4, where he didn’t enter a plea. He’s expected back in court on Feb. 1. His name will not be released per Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act.