Edward Downey, charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Sara Baillie and her daughter Taliyah Marsman, made his first court appearance on Wednesday.
Downey wore a blue prison jumpsuit as he appeared via CCTV.
His case was put over to Aug. 3.
READ MORE: Body of Taliyah Marsman found, Edward Downey charged with first degree murder
Defence lawyer Gavin Wolch spoke to media outside the Calgary Courts Centre, saying he and his father, high-profile defence lawyer Hersh Wolch, are in the process of being retained by Downey.
“We would like the matter to proceed quickly. We would like to get disclosure and defend this individual – who is presumed innocent.”
Wolch added he hopes the matter can be tried in the courtroom and not in the matter of public opinion.
“At this point, what we’re hoping for is a trial in a courtroom, not a trial before the media or in the public.”
“Obviously everybody has seen the news, we’ve seen a picture of the accused in a jumpsuit walking towards the police station,” Wolch said. “We do have a principle in this country that people are tried in a courtroom before a jury of their peers.”
“We want this to be something that is tried in court, with due process.”
Downey, 46, was taken into police custody late last Wednesday. He was charged approximately 24 hours later, after Taliyah’s body was found in a rural area outside Calgary city limits.
READ MORE: Family of Taliyah Marsman, Sara Baillie speak of loss – ‘they’ll always be in our hearts’
Taliya had become the subject of an Amber Alert issued on July 12, after her mother was found dead in their Panorama Hills home the night before.
Investigators said they believed Taliyah was killed just hours after Baillie.
According to documents obtained by Global News, the Parole Board of Canada didn’t feel Downey posed a risk to the public when he was granted release from prison six years ago. It noted he had relied on pimping out girls as prostitutes and drug trafficking to support himself.
READ MORE: Man charged with Sara Baillie, Taliyah Marsman murders didn’t pose ‘undue risk’, says parole board
Downey was convicted of drug trafficking, weapons and prostitution-related charges and has ties to organized crime, with affiliations to a high-profile Canadian gang that originates out of Nova Scotia.
The 46-year-old remains in custody at the Calgary Remand Centre Observation Unit.
Police have not yet released the motive in the case.
READ MORE: Who is Edward Downey? Man charged with first degree murder in Taliyah Marsman’s death
A funeral will be held for Baillie and Taliyah on Thursday at Centre Street Church (3900 2 Street N.E.) at 2 p.m. MT.
In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Missing Children Society of Canada.
Watch below: Global’s ongoing coverage of the deaths of Sara Baillie and Taliyah Marsman