A preliminary inquiry for a man accused in the high-profile killings of a Calgary mother and her daughter began Monday.
Edward Downey has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Sara Baillie and her daughter, Taliyah Marsman.
The evidence presented at the hearing is under a publication ban.
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Baillie was found dead inside her northwest Calgary home July 11, 2016, sparking an Alberta-wide Amber Alert for her daughter.
Police have said they believe Taliyah was murdered just hours after Baillie was killed.
The search for the five-year-old came to a heartbreaking end July 14 after Calgary police found her body just outside the city limits.
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Later that night, Calgary police charged Downey with two counts of murder.
Downey was previously 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 in Nova Scotia.
Criminal lawyer Hersh Wolch and his son Gavin Wolch are representing Downey.
At the end of the hearing, the judge will decide if there is enough evidence to order Downey to stand trial.
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