Appeal granted, another rejected in Calgary Superstore double-homicide case

Undated image of Christian Ouellette, the Calgarian convicted of first-degree murder and second-degree murder in a fatal 2017 shooting in the parking lot of a SE Superstore (Facebook)

An Alberta court has overturned a manslaughter conviction of one man and rejected a request for a new trial from another connected to a double-homicide outside a southeast Calgary Superstore nearly five years ago.

Christian Ouellette was convicted of first-degree murder for fatally shooting Colin Reitberger and second-degree murder for the fatal shooting of Anees Amr in a Superstore parking lot on 130th Avenue S.E. in May 2017. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 40 years.

Blais Delaire was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to eight years in prison.

The killings were related to a drug dispute between Ouellette and Reitberger and police said Amr was not involved in criminal activity, nor the intended target.

Police also linked the double killings to an organized crime drug trafficking ring.

Ouellette filed an appeal in June 2020 and Delaire filed an appeal in September 2020, claiming the judge "erred by misinterpreting and misapprehending material evidence relating to a police agent conversation," and that the conviction "constitutes a miscarriage of justice."

The appeals were heard in October 2021 and a decision was released Thursday.

It says Delaire's manslaughter conviction was set aside and an acquittal was entered.

The ruling also said the court found "no merit" to Ouellette's appeal and it was dismissed.