CALGARY – An interview taped by police with one of the three people accused of killing Calgary father Ryan Lane was played in court Tuesday.
On the audio recording, Will Rempel changes his story several times and his version of events conflicts with evidence already presented to the jury.
Two days after Lane disappeared on Feb. 7, 2012, homicide detectives showed up at the home where Will had lived with his parents in Airdrie.
Will, his brother Tim Rempel and Tim’s wife Sheena Cuthill are all standing trial, accused of the first-degree murder of Lane.
It’s alleged he was kidnapped and killed over a custody dispute involving the child Lane shared with Cuthill.
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In the audio recording with police, Will denies ever knowing Lane.
The officer asked: “Do you know a Ryan Lane at all?”
“No,” Will responded.
“You don’t… you don’t recognize that name at all?”
“No sir,” replied Will.
As the interview continues, police question him about his truck – seen on surveillance video and believed to be the truck used to kidnap Lane.
Will changed his story several times – first claiming he was sick the day Lane went missing and home all day.
Then he told police he went for coffee with his estranged wife.
Finally, he claimed he went to Calgary to meet a man about some parts.
“So, if I were to tell you that this truck was seen in Calgary on Monday evening, how would you tell me that it came to be in Calgary Monday evening?” asked the officer.
“Well, I would have driven it,” Will replied.
“Did you?”
“Monday evening… You know what… That could have been Monday evening when I went to Calgary,” Will said.
“You’re saying that you went into Calgary to get this axle prior to meeting your wife. But yet, you say you met your wife between 11 p.m. and one o’clock… And your vehicle was seen in Calgary at about 11. So tell me how that happens,” questioned the officer.
“That does not compute,” Will said. “I don’t even recall being there. You’re telling me my truck is there – then I guess my truck is there. I don’t know.”
Will refused to answer questions about his brother Tim and called him while police were there.
“I’ve got three officers talking to me here,” Will said in a recorded phone conversation. “I guess somebody’s gone – disappeared or something – and, ah… they tracked dad’s truck somehow or what have you… I guess… and they’re asking me a few questions. They want to know if I would pass on your cell phone so they can come have a chat with you.”
Will told police he sold the truck Feb. 8 to a stranger who helped him when the vehicle broke down on the side of the road.
“He paid me 150 bucks for it instead and we hauled it up onto his trailer and it was gone,” Will said.
In the first week of the trial, the jury was shown video taken Feb. 7 that appeared to show Will washing the suspect truck.
A receipt was found in Will’s home for the sale of the truck to Rainbow Salvage for scrap Feb. 8.
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The audio interview lasts nearly an hour-and-a-half – ending with Will again denying knowing Lane.
“Just to confirm again – you don’t know anybody by the name of Ryan Lane?” the officer asked.
“No ma’am.”
The trial is scheduled to last six weeks.
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