Crown stays cold case double murder charges for second time in a week

For the second time in a week, a Calgary man facing two counts of first-degree murder in a historic homicide will be released from custody.

The Crown announced on Friday it has stayed both of the charges against Leonard Cochrane, 55, due to a "significant issue with the evidence." The decision comes one week after the co-accused, Stuart MacGregor, saw his murder charges dropped for the same reason.

In 2023, Cochrane was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder in the 1994 fatal shootings of Barry Buchart and Trevor Deakins. Cochrane was serving a life sentence.

MacGregor was also facing two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths, with a trial set to take place in November, when the charges against him were stayed last week.

The Alberta Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement on Friday that it encountered a significant issue with the evidence in MacGregor's case, which was "ultimately determined to be insurmountable." The issue led to the decision to release Cochrane from custody, as well.

"Crown prosecutors have also conducted a thorough examination of the available admissible evidence in the prosecution of Mr. Cochrane, exploring all possible paths forward," the Crown's statement said. 

"However, the same issues encountered in Mr. MacGregor's file impact the file of Mr. Cochrane, and the matter was stayed on June 13, 2025."

On Monday, the Crown announced it had consented to a retrial for Cochrane.

Charges were laid in the 1994 double murder with the help of genetic genealogical investigative techniques. Investigators tracked down family members of the suspect, which ultimately led to Cochrane's arrest after his DNA was matched to blood found at the crime scene.

Balfour Der, Cochrane's defence lawyer, said on Friday he was pleased with the result, and maintained Cochrane should have been found not guilty at his trial.

"This case involves novel and important privacy rights considerations for all Canadians," Der said in an emailed statement. "That issue will not be decided because the case has been stayed, but I am sure it [will] come up again on another case."

On July 11, 1994, two men broke into a home in Calgary's southeast Radisson Heights neighbourhood, where Buchart and Deakins were killed. Both victims were shot at point-blank range. The investigation into their deaths went cold for decades before police reopened the investigation in 2019.

Cochrane was charged in 2020. MacGregor was charged three years later in 2023.

In a statement to CBC News last week about MacGregor's charges being stayed, a Calgary Police Service (CPS) spokesperson said CPS was unable to speak publicly about its investigation into the double homicide due to privacy considerations and other limitations.

The CPS statement said the passage of time in cold cases can present challenges, such as changes in evidence standards, investigative techniques and legal framework.

"While we cannot speak specifically about this case, our approach to homicide investigations has evolved considerably since the 90s, and practices that were once standard may differ from those we follow today," the statement said.

CPS said on Friday it had no further comment to add after Cochrane's charges were stayed.