5 Calgary court cases to watch in 2015

Murder is one of the most egregious crimes in our society.

Taking someone's life is permanent and those left behind are forever changed.The most broken people I have ever met arethe parents of murder victims.

There are many interesting and significant non-homicide cases coming up in 2015, but I've chosen to highlight trialsthat involve murder charges because the crimes havesignificant implications for our community.

The cases involve victims who were particularly vulnerablechildren or thedisabledor people just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The upcoming gang trials signify the end of a bloody era in Calgary when dozens were killed.

Two of the other cases gripped this city in ways we have never before experienced.

1)Murder for money?

Accused: 57-year-oldBrianMalley.
Charges: First-degree murder, causing an explosion likely to cause harm or deathand sending an explosive device to a person.
Victim: 23-year-oldVictoria Shachtay.
Trial: Jury trial beginning Jan.26, 2015.
Lawyers: Bob Aloneissi (defence) and AndersQuist& Todd Buziak(Crown).

Former financialadviserBrianMalleyis charged with first-degree murder in the bombingdeath of a disabled single-mother. VictoriaShachtaywas killed by an explosion at herInnisfailhome after a package was delivered there in November 2011.

The single mother of a then seven-year-old girlhad received a $1-million court settlement following a 2004 car accident that left her in a wheelchair.

Malleywas supposed to help her manage the money but Shachtay became suspicious when her money started disappearingand she began askingMalleymore questions about her portfolio.

Malleyalso faces an $80-million lawsuitafter being accused of losing roughly $50 million from dozens of clients.

2) A tortured child

Accused: 25-year-old Marie Magoonand 29-year-old Spencer Jordan.
Charges: First-degree murder.
Victim: Six-year-oldMeika Jordan.
Trial: Judge alone trial beginning March 23, 2015.
Lawyers: Allan Fay (Magoon), Mitch Stephensen (Jordan), Susan Pepper andHyatt Morgrabee (Crown).

It took a year for Spencer Jordan and MarieMagoonto be charged in connection with the death of Jordan's six-year-old daughter.

MeikaJordan died of multiple blunt force traumas in November 2011 while in the care of her father and stepmother. who originally told police the child fell down the stairs.She suffered numerous, brutal injuries leading up to her death including a severe burn to her hand.

InOctober 2012, the couple wascharged with second-degree murder but that was laterupgraded to first-degree in July 2013.

The first-degree charge could be precedent-setting in that theCrown plans to provethe element of forcible confinement arguing the child, because of her age, was unable to leave her father's home.

3) Domestic death

Accused: Kristopher (Tray) Guenther.
Charges: First-degree murder.
Victim:20-year-old Lacey Jones McKnight.
Trial: Feb 17, 2015.
Lawyers: Kim Ross (defence) and Joe Mercier (Crown).

Kristopher (Tray)Guentheris accused of killing his fianceLacey Jones McKnightafter she broke off their engagement.

Shelly Jones,McKnight's mother, says her daughter was terrorized in the weeks leading up to her death. Shebegan keeping close tabs on her daughter bydriving her to and from work andcalling police for a break-in, threats and an incident where McKnight's tires were slashed.

McKnight's body was found in a car in the northeast on Oct. 25, 2012, andGuentherwas hospitalized after an apparent suicide attempt.

Jones has beenadamantsince the day her daughter was killed that police, who records show were called numerous times leading up to her death, failed the family as well.She has spent much of her time since Lacey's deathtrying to hold police accountable.

4) OperationDesino: The fall of a street gang

A massive police investigation dubbed OperationDesinodismantled one of Calgary's deadliest criminal organizations and lead tofive men charged with the murders of six people.

A Calgary gang war between the FOB (Fresh Off the Boat) and theFK(FOB Killers) is connected to at least 25 deaths between 2002 and 2009.

Police and Crown prosecutors successfullyflipped twomajor playersfor the FOB gang, convincing Michael Roberto and HansEastgaardto testify against their former friends in exchange for immunity deals.

TheDesinocharges stem from three incidents: the restaurant shooting deaths of Tina Kong and KevinSes, the drive-by shooting death of KevinAnayaand theBolsarestaurant triple-murder ofSanjeevMann, AaronBendleand innocent bystanderKeniS'ua.

The five men charged in connection with those murders, as well as the two former associates who will testify against them, are all connected to the FOB gangwhich has essentially been broken up since the charges.

In addition to murder, Nick Chan faces a charge of instructing a criminal organization. It'sthe first time in Calgary the charge has been laid.

Two trials related to the deaths of Kong,SesandAnayawill take place in 2015 and could affect the Bolsatrialset for 2016.

Keep an eye on the credibility of witnesses Roberto (who got a partial immunity deal for his role in theBolsamurders) andEastgaard(who was granted full immunity for his admitted role in theSes, Kong andAnayakillings).

The Bolsa shootings have already gone to trial once.Roberto, Zuccherato and Real Honorio were all originally convicted of first-degree murder but new trials were ordered by the Alberta Court of Appeal after a key Crown witness recanted.

Food in the East shooting

Accused: Thoai Van Lucand Nathan Zuccherato.
Charges: Two counts of first-degree murderand two counts of attempted murder.
Victims: Tina Kong and Kevin Ses.
Lawyers: Janice Rea, Bob Sigurdson (Crown), Andre Ouellette (Van Luc) andAlain Hepner (Zuccherato).
Trial: February 23, 2015.

Restaurant killings of nursing student Tina Kong and her friend KevinSeswho were shot at Food in the East restaurant in October 2008.

Police said at the time thatSeswas a loose associate of a gang member, but Kong had no connection to illegal activity.

Marlborough drive-by

Accused: Nathan Zuccherato, Dustin Darby, Nick Chan and Tim Chan.
Charges: First-degree murder andconspiracy to commit murder. Nick Chan also faces the charge of instructing a criminal organization.
Victim: Kevin Anaya.
Lawyers: Adam May, Ryan Persad (prosecutors), Alain Hepner (Zuccherato), Karen Molle (Darby), Richard Cairns (Nick Chan).
Trial: September 14, 2015.

Kevin Anayawas the victim of a daytime drive-by shooting in Marlborough in August 2008.

The shooting continued when the attackers then got out of the vehicle and walked up toAnaya, anFKassociate, leaving him dying on the pavement.

5) Preliminary inquiries

Two crimes one that involved a family believed by police to have beenmurderedandthe other that involvedfiveyoung peoplestabbed to deathgripped the entire nation in 2015. The collective grief has led to countrywide interest, withmanyfollowing every step of the court processes.

However, the two cases are not getting individual mention because each is set for preliminary inquirythe details of which will almost certainly be covered by a publication ban. These hearings won't new detail or conclusions, but are rather a step to move the process forward.

After the hearings we will know two things: what charges the accused, MatthewdeGroodand Douglas Garland, will be sent to trial onand the dates of those trials.

Missingfamily

Accused: Douglas Garland.
Charges: Three counts of first-degree murder.
Victims: Nathan O'Brien (5), Kathy Liknes and Alvin Liknes.
Preliminary inquiry: May 19, 2015.
Lawyers: Shane Parker (Crown) and Kim Ross (defence).

For weeks people held out hope that five-year-old Nathan O'Brienand his grandparentsAlvin and Kathy Likneswould be found alive.

Nathan had been at their home for a sleepover in late June. When his mother came to pick him up the next morning, all three were missing.No bodies were ever founddespite massive searches for the three.

Two weeks after their disappearance, Douglas Garland was charged with their murders.

Garland has connections to the family. He had business dealings with Alvin Liknes. His sister, Patti Garland, is also the common-law wife of AlvinLiknes's son.

Mass killings

Accused: 23-year-old Matthew de Grood.
Charges: Five counts of first-degree murder.
Victims: Kaiti Perras, 23, Lawrence Hong, 27, Joshua Hunter, 23, Zackariah Rathwell, 21, Jordan Segura, 22.
Preliminary inquiry: March 13, 2015.
Lawyers: Neil Wiberg (Crown) andAllan Fay (defence).

Calgarians woke up to horrifying news and images on April 15, 2014.

Five young peopleZackariah Rathwell, Lawrence Hong, Kaitlin Perras, Jordan Segura and Joshua Hunter were stabbed to death at a house party celebrating the end of university classes.

Matthew De Grood, a peer who was headed for law school the next semester, has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder.

At issue is his mental state at the time. A report that contains doctors' opinionson whether they believe he should be found not criminally responsible for the crimes he is alleged to have committed remains sealed.