Brenda Moreside - murdered- Feb 13 2005

[solvy]

Family still seeking justice five years after slaying

By MICHELLE THOMPSON Edmonton Sun

Last Updated: February 18 2010,

More than five years after Brenda Moreside was fatally stabbed, her children are desperate for one thing: justice.

“It’s just so frustrating because it’s taken so long,” said daughter Cynthia Flaata.

“Everything that went wrong with this case went wrong from the start.”

Moreside was slain Feb. 13, 2005 — her 44th birthday — inside the High Prairie house she shared with her common-law husband.

She died one day after calling 911, complaining that her common-law husband was drunk and was trying to break into the house.

Mounties called back, but never responded to the house. The RCMP has admitted it erred when police didn’t respond to the 911 calls.

Stanley Willier, who was charged with second-degree murder, had confessed to police but the trial judge threw out his admission because investigators didn’t do enough to ensure he spoke to a lawyer beforehand.

Willier, who has fiercely maintained his innocence, was acquitted in December 2006.

“I feel so furious and helpless,” the victim’s son, Craig Flaata, said Wednesday.

“I feel like there’s no justice in this country.”

Since Willier’s acquittal, the case has continued dragging through the legal system.

In a decision released by Alberta’s highest court April 3, 2008, the Crown won its appeal of Willier’s murder acquittal.

Moreside’s family hoped a second trial would lead to a fatality inquiry, which could prevent such tragedies from being repeated.

But now they say the case has yet to proceed.