Man acquitted in Candace Derksen homicide charged with sexual assault in Vancouver

A man convicted and later acquitted in the homicide of Candace Derksen has been charged with sexual assault in Vancouver. Jon Hendricks reports.

The man who was convicted and later acquitted in connection with a high-profile Manitoba homicide more than 40 years ago is currently in custody in Vancouver on several charges, including sexual assault.

The Vancouver Police Department confirmed Wednesday that Mark Edward Grant has been charged with sexual assault with a weapon, unlawful confinement, assault with a weapon and uttering threats on Jan. 8. Details about the incident have not yet been released.

Grant was arrested in 2007 and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Candace Derksen. Derksen, 13, went missing on her way home from school on Nov. 30, 1984. Her body was found tied up in a shed six weeks later, and the cause of death was determined to be hypothermia as a result of exposure.

Grant was arrested following DNA tests on the twine used to bind Derksen and was found guilty in a 2011 trial. However, the conviction was overturned by the Manitoba Court of Appeal, which ruled the trial judge erred by not allowing Grant’s defence to share evidence that may have pointed to another possible killer.

A new trial took place in 2017, and Grant was acquitted on a second-degree murder charge.

None of the charges against Grant in the Vancouver incident have been proven in court, and he remains in custody.

-With files from The Canadian Press