Man accused of killing two Metis hunters denied bail

Accused killer Bilodeau denied bail Anthony Bilodeau is accused of killing two hunters.

EDMONTON — A 31-year-old man accused of killing two Metis hunters near Glendon, Alta. in March will stay behind bars for now.

On March 28, Jacob Sansom, 39, and Maurice Cardinal, 57, were shot and killed on a rural road near Glendon, Alta.

Glendon-area residents Anthony Bilodeau, 31, and Roger Bilodeau, 56, are both facing two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the murders.

On Tuesday, Anthony went before a judge in Edmonton for a bail review, one which was attended by members of Metis Nation, who rallied outside prior to the hearing.

Many helds signs saying "No Justice No Peace" and "Their Lives Matter" with pictures of Sansom and Cardinal.

Family and friends of the victims have said that the two men were hunting to feed their families when they were killed.

RCMP said a verbal confrontation escalated into a fight between the occupants of two vehicles parked on the rural road northeast of Edmonton when Sansom and Cardinal were shot.

“The MNA is deeply troubled and concerned with reports of so many incidents with strong overtones of racism in various areas of Alberta. We want justice to be served for these two kind and generous men and their families,” a statement from the Métis Nation of Alberta read.

The statement did not specifically call the killings racially motivated, nor did it detail the other incidents of racism it referred to.

The unsigned statement said both Sansom and Cardinal were citizens of the MNA.

“Our communities must feel safe as we work to uphold our traditional ways of life, including harvesting. The MNA maintains a strong stand against violence and racism in all its ugly forms,” the MNA said.

Sarah Sansom, Jacob’s wife, told the Canadian Press in May that she wasn’t sure if racism played a role in the deaths, adding she couldn’t understand why it happened.

On Tuesday outside of court, she told reporters she hasn't slept in two-and-a-half months. "I can sleep tonight," she said after Anthony Bilodeau was denied bail. "My kids don't have to be afraid. I don't have to be afraid."

With files from The Canadian Press and CTV Edmonton’s Laine Mitchell