Accused killer grilled by prosecutor in Ryan Lane murder trial

Accused killer Sheena Cuthill admitted under cross-examination that she was obsessed with Ryan Lane and believed her husband may become violent when the two met.

Cuthill is accused of orchestrating a plan to have her husband Tim Rempel and his brother, Wilhelm Rempel kill Lane.

All three are charged with first-degree murder.

On Friday, Cuthill testified the plan some of which developed over text message conversations presented to the jury as evidence was to have her husband simply talk to Ryan Lane.

The goal, she said, was to get Lane to walk away,not just from his daughter, but from his own parents who might try to convince him to keep fighting for visits with his child.

But prosecutor Tom Buglas peppered Cuthill with questions about what she believed would happen during the meeting between Lane and her husband.

"Did you not turn your mind to what it might take to get this to succeed?" asked prosecutor Tom Buglas.

"I was expecting there to be a little roughhousing," said Cuthill. "I was assuming there was going to be some fighting."

She maintained her story that the idea was to scare Lane into walking away from his life. Buglas insisted Cuthill explain what it would take for her to walk away from her own family.

"I don't know," Cuthill said several times.

"Now, don't be cute," Buglas told Cuthill. "What would it take, a threat of death?"

Eventually,Cuthilladmitted it would take much more than the threat of mild violence to cause her to pack up and leave, agreeing withBuglasthat the threat of death could cause that reaction.

'I trusted my husband'

Buglas asked Cuthill several times why she never expressed concern in her texts to her husband that Lane would go to the police after he was threatened by the Rempel brothers.

"Is there any chance you weren't worried about that because you knew Ryan Lane would never make it to the police station?" asked Buglas.

"No," said Cuthill. "I trusted my husband."

Police first interviewed Cuthill on Feb. 9, 2012, three days after Lane disappeared but she admitted to lying to themto protect herself and Tim Rempel.

"You had a sense of who could be asked to start looking for him?" asked Buglas.

"Yes," Cuthillsaid.

"Your husband?" said Buglas.

"Yes," Cuthillsaid.

The Crown also questioned Cuthill about her request to speak with police in May2012.

On Monday afternoonCuthill testified in that interview, she told detectives that Wilhelm Rempel offered to kill Lane.

'Busting around' gravel pits

Tim Rempel's lawyer, Allan Fay also questioned Cuthill on Monday morning.

Rempel's off-roading hobby meant he often went "busting around" gravel pits, according to his wife's testimony.

Fay asked Cuthill if she wanted Lane dead or ever encouraged anyone to kill him.Each time she answered "no."

Wilhelm Rempel's lawyer, Jim Lutz did not cross-examine Cuthill.

Defence lawyer Allan Fay indicated he would call his client, Tim Rempelto testify on Tuesday morning.

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