Nathan O'Brien disappearance could be connected to patent dispute

Calgary police arelooking into a patent dispute as part of their probeinto the disappearance of a five-year-old and his grandparents, asource close to the investigation told CBC News.

• Police search landfill
• Amber Alert raises safety questions over estate sales
• Person of interest has criminal past, faces new charge

Nathan O'Brien and his grandparents, Alvin and KathyLiknes,were last seen at their home June 29 after hosting an estate sale, and police announced July 14 that they believe all three were murdered even though their bodies have yet to be found.

CBC News has learned Winter Petroleum, a junior gas company thatwas owned by AlvinLiknes, went bankrupt near the end of Junejust days before the family went missing.

Sources say a business deal between Liknes and Douglas Garland, who police initially calleda"person of interest" in the case and was later charged with murder in connection with the deaths of the Likneses and their grandson, went sour. The collapse of the business deal ledto"bad blood,"police said.

AlvinLikneshad previously registered apatent for an apparatus that separates gas from water.Family members confirmed to CBC News that the patent was a sore point between Liknes and Garland, who hadworked together in the past.

Police confirmed theyare looking into the business relationship between Garland and Liknes.

"There aresome business issues that we are looking into," Calgary Police Service spokesperson KevinBrookwell said on July 10. "I can't get into specifics about what these are and who was involved, what they look like or how many people were involved. Butyes, we have got a number of people who are looking into that."

Court records also show that both Alvin and KathyLikneshad declared bankruptcy in the past Alvin in 1994 and Kathyjust two years ago.

• Police question 'person of interest'
• 'Violent crime' happened at home
• What is an Amber Alert?

According to records,Likneswas involved in several civil lawsuits in the1980sand early 1990s.He was the defendant in two cases four years ago.

AlvinLiknes'ssonis in a common-law relationship with Garlands sister.

Searchexpands

In theirsearch forclues in the case, policeexpanded their search from a ruralacreage inAirdrie, north of Calgaryto landfill sites in Calgary, police say.

Police say that evidence in the Liknes homesuggests a violent altercation occurred there.

In what police say is a routine procedure, they asked all three Calgary area landfills to segregate any waste that has come in since the family's disappearance, Brookwell said.

Search teams moved to the East Calgary Landfill in the city's southeast on themorning of July 10.A day earlier, police began searching theSpyhillLandfillinnorthwest Calgary.

Until then, the search had been confined to therural acreage in Airdrie, whichbelongs to the parents of Garland.

Acreage was site of 1990sdrug lab

Police said they foundflammable and dangerous chemicals at the acreage.

"We dont know if its chemicals that are part of a typical farm operation or chemicals that could be used for something else,"Brookwell said.

"So, until we know what those chemicals are, we cant say and its too early to speculate what those may be or what they be used for."

In 1992, Garland was caught makingamphetamines at the acreage. He was charged withdrug trafficking,possession of stolen property and identity theft, among other things.

Garland, 54, had been in custody since July 4 on a charge of identity theft unrelated to the missing family investigation.He faces charges of identity theft and unlawfully possessing a bank card.

He was later released on bail and then re-arrested on July 14 on murder charges.

Community holds vigil for family

Avigil was held the night of July 10 at the Parkhill Community hall, which is just 100 metres from the family's home.

Police are asking anyone with information about the case, including those who may have been at the estate sale theLiknesesheld on June 27, 28 and 29, to call the Calgary Police Service at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.