liana white › deadmonton 2005 › deadmonton › edmonton

Liana White, 29, was stabbed to death July 12th, 2005.

Michael White, 28, was charged with second-degree murder and offering an indignity to a dead body.

September 23rd, 2007 will mark the second annual Liana's Walk for Hope. A candlelight walk will be followed by a concert and silent auction to raise awareness of domestic violence in the Edmonton community.

On July 12th, 2007 – two years to the day after his wife was first reported missing – the Public Trustee for Alberta launched a $727,000 lawsuit against Michael White.

See the latest update for details of the lawsuit filed on behalf of Liana Clarissa White's estate, the couple's five-year-old daughter Ashley and Liana's mother Maureen Kelly.

ongoing developments | latest update

Of all the homicides that took place in Edmonton in 2005, the case of Liana White gripped the attention of area citizens and Canadians the most.

Liana was four-months pregnant and the mother of a three-year-old daughter when on July 12th, 2005 she seemed to have disappeared into thin air in an otherwise peaceful middle-class suburb along the city's northwestern edge.

The alarm was first raised by White's co-workers at the neo-natal unit of the Royal Alexandra Hospital. When the usually punctual White did not show up for her shift, a series of calls were made.

At about the same time, police received reports about an abandoned SUV in the parking lot of a baseball field behind the Castle Downs YMCA sports centre located near 157 Avenue and 116 Street.

Police found a brown Ford Explorer with the keys inside -- but not in the ignition. The SUV's driver door was wide open.

A purse, some identification and a pair of shoes were found near the vehicle. More identification and a cellphone were found on the ground northwest of the parking lot.

The time of the discovery of what turned out to be Liana White's vehicle soon became the focus of media speculation. Police reported receiving a call at 7:27 a.m., but a woman claimed to have called police after seeing the vehicle in the parking lot on her way to the gym before 6 a.m.

Media reports quoted a second person who said he also saw the Explorer in the parking lot around 5:55 a.m. Another person interviewed saw the vehicle at 5:50 a.m.

The time of the SUV's sighting was the first of many discrepancies in the facts of White'a disappearance seized upon by the media that were eventually explained by police as being part of their investigative strategy.

Throughout the day of July 12th, police and volunteers canvassed the area and posted flyers in area stores, bus shelters and the local library.

Michael White, Liana's husband, gave frequent media interviews, often re-stating that wherever Liana was "Just stay there and I will find you. I will find you."

Homicide detectives were leading the investigation but were treating it as a missing person case.

White, a 28-year-old heavy-duty mechanic and former soldier, said he last saw his wife at 6:15 a.m. when she left for work.

Later in the day, a police forensics unit was posted outside the White's house at 227 Warwick Crescent in the Castle Downs subdivision.

Police said it was standard practice to thoroughly search a missing person's home in addition to interviewing family and friends.

For several days the police characterised Liana White's disappearance as a non-criminal matter.

Additional reports regarding White's SUV suggested the vehicle was in the parking lot the night before she failed to show for work.

Shortly after White was first reported missing, search teams and the AIR-1 police helicopter were scouring the north end of Edmonton.

Also searching the area was Liana's husband, Michael White.

Beginning on the 15th, White led a team made up of neighbours and co-workers along 167 Avenue between 127th and 142nd streets, searching through wooded areas nearby.

Unbeknownst at the time, police were closely watching Michael White.

On July 17th, police searched the White home for a second time but stressed that it was a routine part of any investigation into a missing person.

A statement issued said "It is logical that (police) would return to the last spot where she was seen." Forensic investigators were expected to stay several days in the house and barred White from returning to it.

Later in the day there were reports that Michael White and his self-organised search team had come across a body near the intersection of Township Road 542 and Range Road 251 (see note).

White's search team began looking for the missing woman outside the eight square kilometre area where police and their affiliated volunteers were concentrating their efforts.

When police arrived to investigate the body's discovery, they did not release the gender of the individual found nor did they speculate if it was the missing woman. They also did not indicate if it was White who found the body.

Forensic specialists combed through a ditch near where the body was found, and what appeared to be a pickup, covered in a tarp, was removed from the area on a flatbed truck.

After the body was found on the 17th, Michael White was taken into police custody for further questioning. The next morning police announced they had charged White with the murder of his wife.

On July 19th, police issued statements based on autopsy results. They confirmed that the body found was that of Liana White and that she appeared to have been involved in a struggle before her death.

How she died was still undetermined, police said, and an additional charge of offering an indignity to a dead body, relating to the body being dumped in a rural area, was laid.

White's body was "in a state of decomposition," which made the task of determining how she died difficult. She was identified through dental records. A vehicle towed from the area where the body was found was the husband's pickup truck, which police had earlier obtained a search warrant for.

At the time, investigators tried to determine a motive in the case. They said they were investigating reports that the Whites were in financial straits. White was also reportedly heavily in debt, with outstanding liens on their two vehicles and a $166,000 mortgage on a $170,000 bungalow home.

While Michael White didn't have a criminal record, he did have a record from his time with the Canadian Forces, where he was found guilty for stealing computer components and mechanical tools. He was released from duty and received a $3,000 fine.

Police also revised the timeline of when Liana White was last seen, stating that someone other than her husband saw her alive late on the night of July 11th, just before midnight.

Also explained was police strategy which let White make public statements, talk to the media and form his own search party "because officers wanted to see what he would do." All told, forensic technicians recovered 150 exhibits from Liana's SUV, the White's house and the area where the body was eventually discovered.

On July 21st, the provincial medical examiner said that Liana White's body was too decomposed to pinpoint an exact cause of death but said there was enough evidence to call it "homicidal violence." The term was used to describe the cause of death because the body had severely decomposed, preventing an exact determination of how she died. No natural cause of death could be found.

On July 25th, Michael White continued his involvement with the media by calling 630 CHED Radio, stating he was shocked that people think he may have murdered his wife. White maintained he did not kill her and hadn't a clue as to who did.

White said he'd like to be at his wife's funeral but wouldn't consider it if he had to wear handcuffs and leg irons as that would be an "insult" to him and his wife. White also said that while he and his wife lived from paycheque to paycheque, they did not have financial troubles.

As part of their investigation, police traced Michael White's movements during the days prior to his wife's disappearance. Of interest were surveillance tapes taken by cameras at Richard's Pub at 12150 161 Avenue that may have captured images of the White's vehicle driving along 161 Avenue toward the field where it was eventually found.

On August 8th, reports circulated stating that Liana White's blood was found in the family home's bedroom and on blood-soaked rags discovered in the garbage.

Arrested in connection with Edmonton's twenty-second homicide of 2005 was Michael White, 28. He was presented with charges of second-degree murder and offering an indignity to a dead body.

Liana White was originally from Kelowna, British Columbia. Her husband was originally from Mar, Ontario.

POLICE LINE: DO NOT CROSS

Ongoing Developments

October 7th, 2005 - bail granted.
October 9th, 2005 - Crown announces bail appeal.
October 16th, 2005 - Freedom Church of God letter.
November 18th, 2005 - bail appeal allowed.
December 10th, 2005 - media publication ban upheld.
February 9th, 2006 - bail appeal hearing.
February 22nd, 2006 - bail revoked, publication ban lifted, new evidence revealed.
November 2006 - Michael White's trial began.
January 11th, 2007 - Michael White files appeal.
April 17th, 2007 - high-profile lawyer hoping to take on appeal.
July 12th, 2007 - public trustee sues Michael White.

October 7th, 2005

White was granted $10,000 bail with several conditions -- that he must look for a job, stay in Alberta, be under a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew, live at an approved residence, refrain from possessing any weapons and report to police once a week.

Additionally he couldn't have contact with anyone who might become witnesses in the murder case or with his mother-in-law with whom he shares joint custody of daughter Ashley. White was scheduled to face a month-long preliminary hearing March 1st, 2006.

News of White's release prompted outrage from Liana's mother and neighbours. Edmonton Castle Downs MLA Thomas Lukaszuk, after being contacted by a number of constituents, said he wants the minister of justice to review the possibility of appealing the bail ruling.

The reasons for Court of Queen's Bench Justice Scott Brooker's decision and the evidence and arguments heard at White's bail hearing could not be revealed under a court-ordered publication ban.

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October 9th, 2005

Alberta Justice spokesman Mark Cooper announced that the Crown would appeal Brooker's decision to grant bail to Michael White. However, unless the Crown won the appeal Brooker's decision would stand, Cooper added.

An unamed Edmonton homicide detective told local media that he and his colleagues were in "total disbelief" and "dumbfounded" that White got bail. The detective predicts White's release would spark debate over whether judges should be elected instead of appointed.

Earlier in the week, White told 630 CHED radio that he wanted to be released on bail to spend time with Ashley, work to pay some bills and find evidence to prove his innocence and clear his name. White's visits with his daughter must comply with any orders issued in family court proceedings.

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October 16th, 2005

Two Edmonton area pastors had wrote a letter to local newspaper advising the public to be wary of media reports and a police cover-up in the case.

In a letter to the Edmonton Sun, Freedom Church of God Pastor Robert Scott said, "The neighbours interviewed (in the media) sound like a lynch mob. Indeed, their spirits of unforgiveness, hatred, anger and fear are the same spirits that birthed the Inquisition, the Salem witch hunts, the horrors of Hitler, and last, but not least, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. These people are more dangerous to the city than Michael White could ever be."

Scott added, "His attitude, his love and spirit of forgiveness are in sharp contrast to the dangerous attitudes of his neighbours in my former neighbourhood of Castledowns."

Scott and fellow pastor Gerald Budzinski also questioned the way police handled the investigation, alleging that key evidence was covered up. Scott said he came to his published conclusions after spending five hours with White while ministering to inmates at the Edmonton Remand Centre.

Scott and Budzinski also went as far as to say that Liana White's killer is the same person responsible for slayings of sex-trade workers in the Edmonton area that are being investigated by the Project KARE task force.

The Freedom Church of God was started by Scott, originally a native of South Carolina, in January of 2000. It is believed that the church has 100 members who oppose gay marriage and abortion, and believe that homosexuality is a condition (caused by drinking pasteurised milk) that can be cured.

When Michael Jackson faced child molestation charges earlier in 2005, the congregation prayed for his innocence knowing that Jackson was a Christian.

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November 18th, 2005

Court of Appeal Judge Ronald Berger ruled that Crown prosecutors could appeal an earlier lower court decision to release Michael White on $10,000 bail. The appeal would be heard before a panel of judges sometime in December.

On November 9th Crown lawyers had sought leave to appeal an earlier ruling that let White out of custody. Alberta Justice spokesman Mark Cooper had previously announced his department would appeal the ruling in response to public outcry.

Although not expected to have had any influence on the court's decision, White's neighbours had gathered more than 2,000 signatures on a petition seeking to have his bail revoked. The appeal was also publicly supported by Edmonton Castle Downs MLA Thomas Lukaszuk.

Arguments heard at White's original bail hearing were sealed under a court-ordered publication ban. It was not known what details of that hearing would become available during the appeal process.

In a related matter, the Freedom Church of God (who had earlier lashed out at the media and police with accusations of a cover-up in the White investigation) was itself being investigated by health authorities.

Capital Health inspected and then condemned sleeping quarters at the church's site at 8112 81 Avenue. People were found to be sleeping in cars, a metal shed, in a crawl space under a staircase and in a bedroom with no window.

Also on the list of problems were missing smoke alarms, mouse feces and an area in the backyard used for urinating. Also missing was a required automatic sprinkler system and fire- and flame-resistant drywall.

Edmonton's planning and development department were also determining whether the multiple suites and even the church itself were allowed on the property in question.

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December 10th, 2005

Court of Appeal Judge Ronald Berger upheld an order that prohibited the media from reporting details of the November 9th hearing appealing Michael White's release. The challenge was mounted by several Edmonton media outlets.

Berger appeared reluctant in his ruling. In his written decision he stated, "Keeping the public in the dark ... can be a recipe for uninformed speculation fuelling widely publicised concern in the community - a far greater risk to the fair rights of the accused and the Crown."

Berger further stated that he doubted that "prospective jurors would retain and recall the details of a 30-second news clip or even a seven-inch column summarizing submissions made by counsel, or reasons for decision pronounced by a bail judge." Berger's decision was made on the basis the ban was mandatory and not discretionary.

While the ruling seemed an invitation for a challenge to the section of the Criminal Code that directed the ban, there was no indication of outcome regarding the Crown's appeal of White's release.

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February 9th, 2006

An Alberta Court of Appeal heard arguments from the Crown to have bail revoked for Michael White.

A publication ban prevented the release of details from the hearing. The Crown was expected to have new evidence that showed White shouldn't have been out on bail.

The Court of Appeal held off making a decision about White's release until later in February. Also expected was a ruling on arguments from media lawyers challenging the publication ban.

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February 22nd, 2006

A panel of three Court of Appeal judges revoked White's bail. White voluntarily reported to police and was transferred to the Edmonton Remand Centre to await trial. The judgement also lifted a publication ban which prevented the release of new evidence that was part of the Crown's appeal of White's bail.

As part of the ongoing investigation since White was first charged, police determined that a person matching White's description was captured on security video dumping Liana White's SUV in the parking lot behind the Castle Downs YMCA sports centre.

At 5:00 a.m. on July 12th, 2005 a vehicle was seen driven from the direction of the White residence to the location where the vehicle was found. Fifteen minutes later, the video showed a man running in the opposite direction.

When police first inspected the Explorer, the front door was open with items strewn about the inside, including the victim's wallet, and a pair of women's shoes neatly lined up outside.

Police also noted the placement of the seat and the interior rear view mirror was adjusted to fit a person of White's size, as opposed to his significantly smaller wife.

Court documents also indicated White was seen at 10:30 p.m. on July 14th emerging from a field between his residence and the location where Liana’s body was eventually found. He was carrying two large plastic garbage bags which he took back to his home and put out for garbage pick-up the following day.

Police seized the bags which included gloves, bloody cleaning materials, a broken lamp (believed to be part of a set from the master bedroom of the White residence), two sponges similar to sponges found in the White home, and some of the accused’s clothes with his wife's blood on them. Further examination of White's residence revealed the presence of blood in the bedroom of the home and the back of the SUV.

Also revealed in court were results from the medical examiner’s report that showed Liana White had cuts on her hand consistent with defensive wounds from a struggle and likely died from a number of stab wounds, with the fatal wound being likely to her neck.

It was also revealed the search party found the 29-year-old's body lying face down in a ditch, her bra tugged above her head and her panties pulled down, as if to suggest sexual assault. None of her other clothing has been found.

The Crown suggested the original bail decision was based on evidence that Liana White was killed after being impulsively struck by the lamp, inviting the chance of a potential manslaughter conviction.

The Crown's appeal presented a more pre-meditated attack with Michael White purposely introducing a weapon -- the knife -- to the murder scene.

Buttressing the appeal argument was the subsequent cover-up -- the staging of the SUV and Liana's body -- and the duping of the public into participating in a search in order to throw police off track. In addition, presented was new DNA evidence collected where Liana was found and in the contents of the plastic bags.

The Crown speculated the couple's three-year-old daughter, Ashley, was likely home when the attack occured. A prosecutor told the court it's not known whether the girl saw what happened, or is able or willing to talk about it.

DNA tests on the baby Liana was carrying determined that White was the father. No motive for the murder was put forward.

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November 2006

A preliminary trial for Michael White took place in March 2006.

39 witnesses were called by the Crown and none by the defence. The hearing, originally slated to take a month, concluded after just ten days of testimony.

On March 14th Judge Michael Stevens-Guille committed White to stand trial on charges of second-degree murder and offering an indignity to a dead body.

White, whose lawyer did not contest the committal to trial, elected to be tried by judge and jury.

After a change of lawyers and two days of jury selection, the trial of Michael White began on November 2nd, 2006.

The trial was expected to last one month.

For a complete recounting of continuing events, visit the Last Link Trial of Michael White page.

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January 11th, 2007

Michael White filed an appeal of his second-degree murder conviction and life sentence for killing his pregnant wife Liana. He also sought to amend the terms of his parole eligibility which was set at 17 years » full details »

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April 17th, 2007

630 CHED Radio broke the story that high-profile defence lawyer Hersh Wolch was seeking to represent Michael White through his appeal process.

Wolch was best known for his work for David Milgaard » full details »

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July 12th, 2007

Two years to the day after his wife was first reported missing the Public Trustee for Alberta launched a $727,000 lawsuit against Michael White.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Liana Clarissa White's estate, the couple's five-year-old daughter Ashley and Liana's mother Maureen Kelly » full details »

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Note:

On October 19th, 2006 Michael White's legal counsel advised the media that statements which appeared earlier in published stories, that a search party led by White found Liana White's body, were not accurate and that Michael White states that he did not lead the search team that found Liana's body.

deadmonton 2005 - liana white

July 12th, 2007