Convicted murderer William Bicknell failed to make an appearance in Fort Saskatchewan court Thursday. He was scheduled in court to face several charges in connection to his escape from police custody.
RCMP were not expecting him to make his court date as he remains in hospital recovering from undetermined injuries sustained during an alleged shootout with police last weekend.
Bicknell is also facing charges in connection to an alleged kidnapping that occurred in Vegreville.
Bicknell was finally captured near Sexsmith Saturday night. Police allege Bicknell entered an elderly woman's residence north of Sexsmith around 7:30 a.m. Saturday. CTV News was told the woman was held hostage until she managed to escape around 4 p.m. and alert authorities.
Police say the investigation continues in relation to the alleged hostage-taking.
Bicknell was serving a life sentence for the second-degree murder of a B.C. woman. He had been at large since police say he overpowered a guard while on an escorted pass from the Drumheller Correctional Facility on March 10th.
He is also accused of holding a man hostage for 10 hours in Vegreville last Thursday. The farm where a 72-year-old man was held hostage at gunpoint is located a few kilometres from where Bicknell grew up.
Bicknell is scheduled to appear in court next week in Vegreville, but RCMP don't expect Bicknell to appear in person.
