A small spot of blood on a shoe led police to one of the two men now on trial in B.C. Supreme Court for a killing near Powell River in January 2005.
James Edward Moss, 51, was found beaten to death in his home in Lund, about 20 miles outside Powell River. About three weeks later police arrested Richard William Robert Peers, 25, of Sechelt and Mark Anthony Harding, 22, of Powell River. They are charged with second-degree murder and are on trial by judge alone in B.C. Supreme Court in Nanaimo.
On Wednesday, a Powell River police officer, Const. Carl McIntosh, said investigators provided him with updates of the investigation. One detail disclosed to McIntosh was that of a Globe brand running shoe imprint left at the bloody scene. McIntosh also knew that Harding and Peers were among about a half-dozen suspects in the case.
On Feb. 3, McIntosh said he was driving through Powell River when alerted about a vehicle Peers may have run from. At the time Peers was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant on an unrelated matter. McIntosh saw the vehicle and found Harding in the passenger seat.
He noticed what appeared to be a blood spot on the Globe runner that Harding wore. McIntosh then arrested Harding for the murder of Moss. Harding was later released, and re-arrested Feb. 18. Peers was arrested Feb. 10.
The trial, which began June 29, has so far heard from a handful of witnesses. The bulk of the evidence has been from a forensic identification RCMP officer, who spent several days being questioned by the Crown and cross examined by lawyers for Harding and Peers.- Paul Walton Nanaimo Daily News
