A father from Calgary, who is accused of killing his young children and then driving their bodies to a police station where he confessed by calling 911, appeared in court briefly today and will remain in custody. A publication ban was issued at his initial appearance to protect the identities of his three- and five-year-old children, as well as the 37-year-old father, known by the initials MM. The court session was attended by senior defense lawyer Clayton Rice on behalf of MM, who appeared via CCTV from the Calgary Remand Centre in a blue jumpsuit. MM, facing two charges of first-degree murder, only spoke to confirm his understanding of the proceedings.
The case was adjourned for a month to allow Rice to review disclosure documents while MM stays in custody. The bodies of the children were found on April 30, but court documents suggest they were killed the day before. MM had picked up the children on April 29 around 5 p.m. and was expected to return them shortly after. When the mother couldn’t reach him, she contacted the police. On Thursday, MM drove to the District 3 station and called 911 to confess to the crime.
The police arrested MM near the district office and found the children’s bodies in the back seat of the vehicle. MM then confessed to the crime during the interview at the investigative building. MM and the children’s mother had been in a common-law relationship for six years, sharing joint custody of the kids after their breakup last year. Despite police visits to their home on four occasions during their relationship, no charges were previously filed.