Man, 21, charged with 1st-degree murder in Edson attempted robbery

Mounties arrested a 21-year-old man from Yellowhead County, Alta., and charged him with first-degree murder in the shooting of an Edson store employee last month.

Police identified the victim as 44-year-old Cordell Maclellan. Online, family and friends identify Maclellan as a father and former oilfield worker who loved outdoor sports. He worked at Indominus Sports.

Brent Michael Dumas is charged with first-degree murder, possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of a firearm contrary to order, and assault with a weapon.

Mounties allege that Dumas entered the business on Nov. 4 with a firearm, attempted a robbery, and discharged the firearm during the interaction. Police say Maclellan was injured, and the robbery attempt was unsuccessful.

RCMP says a second employee was assaulted during a physical altercation within the store as the accused was fleeing the scene. The second employee was injured but did not require hospitalization, Mounties said.

Cordell MacLellan, 44, was killed during an attempted robbery at Indominus Sports in Edson, Alta. on Nov. 4, 2021.

The firearm used in the incident was left at the scene and the suspect stole a vehicle.

That vehicle was located within an hour unoccupied a short distance away from the store, police said.

Maclellan was taken to hospital by EMS but later died due to his injuries.

 

DUMAS KNOWN TO POLICE

Insp. Rick Jane, officer in charge of RCMP Serious Crimes Branch South, said it was "premature" for police to say whether the attempted robbery was random or targeted.

"I will let the court process speak to that itself," Jane said at a media availability Monday.

RCMP located a vehicle associated with Dumas on Saturday around 4 p.m. According to police, Dumas fled from officers into a "treed area" north of Highway 16 and east of Highway 32 near Carrot Creek.

With assistance from the Edmonton Police Service's Air One and RCMP police dog services, Dumas was taken into custody without further incident two hours later, Mounties add.

Dumas was known to police and has a record of firearm charges, including a lifetime firearm prohibition. When asked, RCMP said they would not discuss his previous history of charges, citing privacy legislation.

Reporters asked Mounties if the firearm was left at the scene of the attempted robbery because the second employee managed to take it away from the accused.

"That struggle is still facts that need to be explored in court," Jane said.

 

WHY NO EMERGENCY ALERT?

The RCMP responded to questions regarding the incident's timeline on Nov. 4 and the five weeks until the accused's arrest.

"During that five-week period, the evidence was being gathered and analyzed," Jane said. "We were also ensuring we considered any possible alternative suspects.

"We need to balance the urgency and the public's desire to have us arrest people as quickly as we can with the need to ensure that when we do arrest them, we have done a thorough job," he added.

When asked why no emergency alert or suspect description was issued at the time of the incident, Jane said law enforcement uses public alerts "judiciously" to ensure their impact is not lessened.

"We didn't have enough information to put out a meaningful description that would have assisted the public," he said. "If anything, our concern would be if we were to create an environment where the offender, or the suspect, felt like he was being hunted and spooked.

"That actually can escalate the risk to the public as the person becomes desperate and tries to take evasive action," the RCMP inspector added. "We wanted the suspect to feel comfortable, and with that passage of time, the likelihood of committing another offence just because of this offence goes down."

Dumas remains in police custody and is to appear in Edson provincial court on Jan. 18.

Edson is about 200 kilometres west of Edmonton.