Ottawa, ON – Dane Lloyd, Conservative Member of Parliament for Parkland, introduced McCanns’ Law in the House of Commons today, proudly seconded by MP Michael Cooper.
Bill C-236, introduced this afternoon, seeks to support families and honour homicide victims by ensuring they receive the justice and respect they deserve. The legislation adds stronger penalties on offenders convicted of crimes resulting in death if they refuse to disclose the location of their victim’s remains. These consequences would apply during sentencing, parole eligibility determinations, and conditional release applications.
In 2010, Travis Vader brutally murdered Lyle and Marie McCann of St. Albert, Alberta. The Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench convicted Vader of manslaughter and sentenced him to life in prison, with eligibility for parole after seven years. To this day, the McCann family does not know the location of Lyle and Marie’s bodies. By withholding this critical information, Vader continues to inflict pain on the family.
The McCanns’ son, Bret McCann, said: “By withholding where he left their bodies, Vader is able to continuously revictimize our family. Without a proper funeral and memorial, our family was unable to fully grieve and reach some degree of closure.”
McCann added that throughout the whole trial, Vader repeatedly mocked his family.
Currently, sentencing judges and parole boards are not required to consider an offender’s refusal to disclose the location of a victim’s remains in their decisions. This legislation would grant them the authority to ensure justice for the deceased and provide closure for grieving families.
“Families have a right to know where their loved ones are. They have the right to give them a proper funeral and those who would deny them these fundamental rights must be held to account,” concluded Lloyd.