The case of a Calgary man accused of killing a mother and her five-year-old daughter has been put over for a week.
A lawyer for Edward Downey, charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Sara Baillie and her daughter Taliyah Marsman, appeared in court on his behalf Wednesday. The judge had previously excused his appearance.
Taliyah became the subject of an Amber Alert on July 12, after her mother was found dead in their Panorama Hills home the night before.
Downey, 46, was charged after Taliyah’s body was found in a rural area outside Calgary city limits.
Investigators said they believed Taliyah was killed just hours after Baillie.
READ MORE: Who is Edward Downey? Man charged with first degree murder in Taliyah Marsman’s death
Police have not commented on a possible motive in the case.
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.
READ MORE: Family of Taliyah Marsman, Sara Baillie speak of loss – ‘they’ll always be in our hearts’
It’s expected the date for a ten-day preliminary inquiry will be set when lawyers for Downey return to court on Sept. 15.
With files from Nancy Hixt and The Canadian Press
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