Phone, shoe in incident associated with suspects
A Calgary jury is hearing a four‑week murder trial in which prosecutors allege DNA evidence links two men to the fatal roadside shooting of a Rocky View County worker and the wounding of a FortisAlberta Inc. employee in 2024.
According to reporting by the Calgary Herald, Elijah Blake Strawberry, 29, and Arthur Wayne Penner, 36, are charged with second‑degree murder in the death of county employee Colin John Hough and attempted murder in the shooting of Fortis Alberta worker Matthew Andres. The men also face robbery and related firearm‑linked counts arising from the same incident.
Court records show the trial in Calgary Court of King’s Bench is scheduled to run from 4 to 29 May 2026, over 19 sitting days to account for the Victoria Day holiday. Jury selection began on 30 April, and both accused remain in custody pending the outcome of the proceedings, according to earlier coverage by COS and CBC.
The charges stem from the 9 August 2024 shooting death of Hough on a rural road near Conrich, east of Calgary. Hough was fatally shot after he reportedly stopped to help at the scene of a burning truck on the roadside.
A second man, Andres, was also shot during the same incident but survived his injuries. Penner and Strawberry face attempted murder charges in connection with Andres’s shooting, in addition to the murder charge involving Hough and the related robbery allegation.
Forensic testimony outlines DNA findings
On Wednesday, the jury heard evidence from RCMP biology reporting scientist Jasmine Robitaille, who described DNA analysis conducted on items recovered from several locations connected to the case. Jurors followed printed copies of her reports as Crown prosecutor Ryan Ziegler asked her to explain the findings.
Robitaille testified about DNA analysis on items recovered from the rural scene, including Hough’s stolen Rocky View County work truck, the Calgary Herald reported. She also addressed DNA evidence from items found inside Andres’s FortisAlberta truck that investigators say did not belong to him.
Those items included a face mask, a cellphone and a blue shoe. In testimony reported by the Calgary Herald, Crown prosecutor Photini Papadatou told the court: “The phone was associated to Mr. Penner and it also contained DNA attributed to Mr. Penner. The blue shoe had DNA attributed both to Mr. Strawberry and Mr. Penner at various areas.”
Police also recovered a shell casing near where Andres was shot, the newspaper reported. The Crown says the DNA profiles and physical evidence are consistent with the presence of both accused in or around the utility vehicle before it became stuck in a ditch.
Legal background and implications for field workers
The matter proceeded to trial following a four‑day preliminary inquiry in June 2025 before Justice Karim Jivraj. Prosecutors Ziegler and Papadatou called 12 witnesses at that stage, and the court ruled there was sufficient evidence for a jury to consider the murder, attempted murder and robbery counts.
Defence counsel contested aspects of the Crown’s case at the preliminary hearing, including the attempted murder allegations, but the court committed both accused to stand trial on all major charges, including an additional robbery count involving a restricted or prohibited firearm, COS previously reported.
Throughout the current proceedings, Strawberry and Penner have sat in the prisoner’s box flanked by sheriffs, with Strawberry in a white T‑shirt and Penner in a suit and glasses, according to the Calgary Herald. None of the allegations have been proven in court, and both men are presumed innocent unless and until found guilty.
Both Hough and Andres were carrying out routine field work along rural roads at the time of the alleged offences, using marked work vehicles in low‑traffic areas. The circumstances have drawn attention among municipal and utility employers responsible for roadside and remote operations.
