Man charged with 2019 homicide of Wetaskiwin woman, Twyla Evans
Alberta RCMP's Historical Homicide Unit announced that 49-year-old Stan Cross has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Evans' death.
He was arrested without incident on June 20 and remains in custody. His first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday at the Court of King's Bench in Wetaskiwin.
Evans, 39, was reported missing in September 2019. According to RCMP at the time, she was last seen between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Sept. 6, leaving her residence to go to a movie. Her green Jeep Compass was found the following day parked near a Safeway. Despite multiple searches over the years, she has never been found.
'This was a particularly heartbreaking case due to the significant vulnerabilities the victim faced in her daily life,' said Insp. John Spaans, officer in charge of the Wetaskiwin RCMP detachment in a statement.
The RCMP did not elaborate on the nature of those vulnerabilities or whether Evans and Cross were known to each other. Police say no further details will be released at this time to protect the integrity of the court process.
The Alberta RCMP historical homicide unit continued pursuing the case over the years, eventually uncovering new developments that led to the arrest.
'Our Alberta RCMP Historical Homicide Unit is a team of dedicated and meticulous investigators who are working for those who can no longer speak for themselves,' said Insp. Breanne Brown of the Alberta RCMP serious crimes branch. 'Our team has been able to bring Stan Cross to justice for his actions against Twyla Evans and provide some answers to her family and friends.'
Brown said the investigation remains active, and efforts are still ongoing to recover Evans' remains.
'The Alberta RCMP does not stop investigating in these circumstances and our team continues to work to bring Twyla home,' she added.
Evans was described in the original missing person alert as a Caucasian woman, five-foot-seven with an average build, green eyes, shoulder-length blackish-red hair, and a rose tattoo on her arm. She wore dark-rimmed glasses and may have been carrying a red shoulder purse and wearing a light grey jacket at the time of her disappearance.
cnguyen@postmedia.com
DNA technology solves mystery of Edmonton woman's 2001 disappearance
DNA identifies remains of Edmonton man who disappeared in 1990: EPS
You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post, and 13 other Canadian news sites. The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Grieving husband witnesses execution of wife's killer after 43 years: 'I made a promise'
Forty-three years after Randy White's wife was murdered just minutes after he kissed her goodbye for the last time, he has witnessed the execution of her killer. Kayle Barrington Bates, 67, was executed by lethal injection on Tuesday, Aug. 19, for the 1982 murder of Janet Renee White, the youngest of five tightknit siblings and a beloved wife who dreamed of having children and running her own business. Bates was pronounced dead at 6:17 p.m. ET. His execution is a record 10th this year in Florida, which is putting more inmates to death than any other state. It's also the 29th execution in the U.S. this year so far, a 10-year high. The execution represents long-awaited justice for White, who was 27 when he lost his wife and witnessed the execution at the age of 70. "I made a promise to her right after it happened that I would be there for every trial, every hearing, every appeal, and that as long as I was living, I would seek justice for her," he told USA TODAY after the execution. "I feel a relief that I can mentally let Renee know that justice has finally been served for her, and that's mentally what I need. It's always been for her." Veterans groups had been asking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed Bates' death warrant in July, to reconsider and spare Bates because of his military service. He was in the Florida National Guard for six years and is now the fourth veteran executed in the state this year. 'We can never be a veteran friendly state when our leader is signing off on their deaths at the hands of the State," according to a letter signed by 130 veterans and sent to DeSantis. "We urge you now to lead from a place of bravery, to return to the honor code from your service, and to stop setting the executions of our fellow soldiers.' DeSantis has said he's signing death warrants for the worst of the worst and that he wants to bring closure to victim families. Sierra Dean, a spokeswoman for the governor's office, told USA TODAY on Tuesday that Bates was "being executed after receiving the death penalty for murder, sexual battery, kidnapping, and robbery. His sentence has nothing to do with his status as a veteran." Here's what you need to know about the execution. Death penalty in Florida: DeSantis speeds up pace of executions as veterans plead for mercy Kayle Barrington Bates had no last words Bates declined to say last words, a right afforded to all death row inmates just before they're executed. He also turned down a last meal. White described the execution as straightforward and quick. What was Kayle Barrington Bates convicted of? On Monday, June 14, 1982, Randy and Renee White were back at their workplaces after a romantic weekend trip. At lunchtime, they met back at their Lynn Haven home, where she watched her favorite soap opera and he made her a sandwich. When it was time to return to work, Randy wanted to make sure Renee got back safely to the State Farm insurance office where she worked, so he followed her in his car and watched her walk in. But a man had broken into the back of the office and was waiting for her. As Renee walked in, the phone was ringing. She answered and was about to say "Hello" when Kyle Barrington Bates popped out, according to court records. Renee let out a "bone-chilling scream," and Bates cut the phone cord, court records say. The woman who had been calling the office immediately called police. "Bates attacked her, but Renee fought back," according to court records. "Despite her best efforts, Bates overpowered Renee and forced her into the woods behind the office." Bates "brutally beat" Renee, strangled her, stabbed her twice in the chest, and "attempted to rape her," according to court records, though Randy disagrees with the terminology regarding the sexual assault. Bates admitted to "engaging in one-sided sexual conduct" with Renee and "both his and Renee's underwear contained evidence of semen," court records say. Within about 15 minutes of waving goodbye to Renee, Randy got a call that there was an emergency at her office. Soon after, a sheriff's chaplain broke the news. "He looked at me and said, 'Mr. White, I don't know any easy way to say this ... but your wife's been murdered,'" Randy remembered. "I completely lost it." Police arrived within minutes of the attack and said they found Bates covered in blood, with Renee's wedding ring in his pocket. Bates was convicted of murder and and sentenced to death. Randy and Renee: They married 10 weeks after meeting. A killer ended their love story. More about Kayle Barrington Bates Bates, who was a married father of a 3-year-old girl at the time of the murder, always maintained that he didn't kill Renee and fought unsuccessfully to get DNA evidence in the case tested since that wasn't yet available in 1982. James Driscoll Jr., one of Bates' attorneys, described him as "a man of faith" who has been relying on his religion. He said that Bates turned to Islam in prison around 1993, became "dedicated to studying the Quran," was "a mentor and calming presence for some of the younger guys" on death row, and reconnected with his daughter, who is now in her 40s. "The man has exhibited a quiet dignity throughout all of these proceedings that is inspirational," Driscoll told USA TODAY just after visiting with Bates for the last time on Monday. "Regardless of what happens, Mr. Bates is at peace." Driscoll and the rest of Bates' legal team filed numerous last-minute appeals in an effort to spare his life, arguing in part that the execution is unconstitutional because of organic brain damage, trial errors and bad trial attorneys. "If the state of Florida takes Mr. Bates life, it will be a tragic miscarriage of justice," Driscoll said the day before the execution. Bates' attorneys had hoped the U.S. Supreme Court would intervene but the justices declined. That includes claims from Bates' attorneys that Florida tends to conduct more executions for crimes in which the victim was white and has shown "a bias toward executing Black individuals." In response, the Florida Attorney General's Office said that of 21 execution warrants signed by DeSantis while in office, 19% have been for Black inmates and 26% of the victims involved were non-white. "These statistics totally rebut any claim of racial discrimination in the Governor's warrant selections," prosecutors wrote. More from Janet Renee White's husband In a two-hour interview last week, Randy White told USA TODAY how he and Renee met in a pizza parlor as teenagers and married 10 weeks later. "She walks in the door, and I mean the second she walked in, I can still remember what I said. 'Who the heck is that young lady?'" Randy recalled. "She was absolutely gorgeous." Later, Randy learned that when Renee got home the night they met, she told her mother: "I have met the man of my dreams." "We were completely crazy about each other," Randy said. "Like flipped upside-down crazy." Eight years after the wedding, the Whites were living like they were still on their honeymoon, traveling often and spontaneously. In 1982, when he was 27 and she was 24, they decided it was time to have a baby, Randy said. "She wanted children really, really bad." A month later she was murdered. And though Randy remarried and has been with his second wife for over three decades, he never became a father. "After she was killed, that part of me went away," he said. "It destroyed me." Randy said he didn't witness the execution out of revenge, and that he was able to forgive Bates about 10 years after the murder. Otherwise, "it was going to destroy whatever I had left." He just wishes the execution had come much sooner. Only two of Renee's four siblings are still living to see it happen, he said. "It's overdue," he said, adding that he was worried about either Bates or dying before the execution. "You've got to find a shorter route than 43 years ... There's got to be a better system that will see all these appeals through quicker." He said he still has little conversations in his head with Renee every day and will continue to do so. "It's just something I need to help me each day because I always miss her," he said. "And it gives me comfort." When is the next execution? The next execution in the U.S. will also be in Florida. On Aug. 28, the state is set to execute Curtis Windom by lethal injection for the 1992 murders of his girlfriend, her mother and his best friend. The state has another execution planned on Sept. 17, that of David Joseph Pittman for the 1990 triple murder of his estranged wife's parents and sister. If they move forward, those will mark the 11th and 12th executions in Florida so far this year. Previously, the most executions the state carried out in a single year was eight, in both 1984 and 2014. Beyond Florida, eight other executions are scheduled in other states in the U.S. by the end of the year, putting the country on pace to see at least 39 inmates put to death in 2025. That's more than any other year since 2013 and would be a 56% increase over the 25 executions conducted last year. Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at and follow her on X at @AmandaLeeUSAT This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida widower witnesses killer's execution after waiting 43 years
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
What Bryan Kohberger's Classmates and Professors Told Police About His Behavior After Idaho Murders
In the weeks following Bryan Kohberger's arrest in December 2022 for the murders of four University of Idaho students, the Washington State University graduate student's classmates and professors told police about the concerning behavior he exhibited around the time of the killings. Kohberger, 30, was pursuing a PhD in criminology at Washington State and serving as a teacher's assistant, though he was fired days before his arrest. Kohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 for the murders of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves at 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho, in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022. A judge sentenced him to four consecutive life sentences after his guilty plea took the death penalty off the table. In the time since the murders, Idaho state police have released more than 500 pages of documents related to the investigation, including accounts of interviews with those at Washington State who regularly interacted with Kohberger. Disturbing Takeaways From Unsealed Idaho Murders Documents After Bryan Kohberger Gets Life in Prison Keep scrolling for the biggest revelations from the students and professors in his program. Bryan Kohberger Had Visible Injuries After the Murders After the murders, students and faculty noticed visible injuries on Kohberger's hands. One student told police he had cuts on his hand 'similar to cat scratches.' Another said he had 'bloody knuckles,' though that student was unsure if they made the observation immediately before or after the homicides. A professor also recalled seeing Kohberger's hand bandaged around the time of the homicide, and Kohberger telling her it was due to 'a silly accident indoors.' How Classmates Say Bryan Kohberger's Behavior Changed After Murders Students observed several seemingly innocuous changes to Kohberger's behavior after November 13, 2022. For one, he stopped bringing his phone to class, which classmates assumed he had used to take notes. Instead, he used his laptop. Idaho Prosecutor Reveals How Often Bryan Kohberger Was Near Victims' Home Amid Stalking Theory The same student also said the normally clean-shaven Kohberger began to grow facial hair and appeared 'disheveled.' Despite weather that didn't call for a jacket, she said he would wear a heavy coat for the duration of their three-hour class together. Due to the nature of the criminology program, the Idaho murders were often brought up in class. While Kohberger was typically an active participant in class discussions, he did not participate when the subject arose. Multiple People Told Police Kohberger Would 'Spatially' Trap Them A female student alleges other women in the criminology program complained that Kohberger 'would make them uncomfortable.' This included 'numerous' instances of him staring at female classmates or 'spatially trapping' them in the student offices. A professor also had a similar interaction in which Kohberger allegedly cornered her in a hallway because she had not given him 100 percent for participation that week. New Docuseries Tries to Answer Why 4 College Students Were Murdered in Idaho: Biggest Revelations Classmates Accused Kohberger of 'Mansplaining' Several interviews with students included accusations that Kohberger would 'mansplain' course material to women in his class — a concept he claimed did not exist. In one incident, a student claims he became "agitated and argumentative' while she was discussing eyewitness misidentification. The exchange left her uncomfortable, and she filed a written complaint with the university. In another instance, a student says Kohberger attempted to correct her in class by overexplaining the subject as if she did not understand. Kohberger again became argumentative, and the student left the class early because of the interaction. Another student complained to a professor that Kohberger left her in tears after making sexist comments as he was mansplaining a subject to her. Bryan Kohberger Was Investigated for Break-In 1 Year Before University of Idaho Murders A Classmate Almost Reported Kohberger to the University Kohberger's odd behavior caught the attention of one student who told police he nearly reported him to the university but decided not to because the report would not be anonymous. The student observed that Kohberger was visibly sleep-deprived, often late to lectures and would frequently get up and leave in the middle of class, only to return with coffee. A Professor Warned Colleagues That Kohberg Is a Potential 'Predator' In a staff meeting, a female faculty member told her colleagues that Kohberger 'is smart enough that in four years we will have to give him a PhD' but warned them about his problematic behavior. 'Mark my word, I work with predators, if we give him a PhD, that's the guy that in that many years when he is a professor, we will hear is harassing, stalking and sexually abusing ... his students at wherever university,' the professor said. Idaho Murders Prosecutor Shares Theory on Why Bryan Kohberger Spared Dylan Mortensen After She Saw Him Kohberger Was the Only Student in His Class Who Believed in the Death Penalty A student says Kohberger was the only person in her class who supported the death penalty. In an attempt to argue his position, he asked the student whether she would support putting someone to death who 'raped and murdered' her 12-year-old daughter. Kohberger Talked Up the Perpetrator in Moscow Homicides Kohberger told another student that whoever committed the Idaho murders 'must have been pretty good' in a conversation approximately three weeks after the killings. Kohberger praised the killer's choice for timing because it was shortly before students left for winter break.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
The Menendez Brothers Make Their Case for Parole
Lyle and Erik Menendez will appear before a California parole board this week to make their case for release after more than three decades behind bars for killing their parents. The hearings on Thursday and Friday represent a crucial moment in the brothers' yearslong campaign for freedom. If the board decides to grant them parole, the recommendation will go before Gov. Gavin Newsom for approval after a review by the board's legal division. The brothers could be out within weeks, or months. The brothers, who had been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, gained a chance to go before the panel after they were resentenced in May. The decision by Judge Michael V. Jesic of Los Angeles Superior Court to reduce the brothers' sentences for the 1989 killings made them eligible. Commissioners from California's parole board will now decide whether they think the brothers should be paroled. The board, made up of 21 full-time commissioners and a two- or three-person panel, is scheduled to hear arguments regarding Erik's case on Thursday, and Lyle's case on Friday. While the brothers have been inextricably linked throughout their legal odyssey — appearing in court together at their two trials and at their recent resentencing hearing — they will have separate parole hearings, and each is likely to have a different panel of commissioners. It is not at all certain that the outcome will be the same for each man. It is possible that one could be granted parole, and the other denied. It was more than 35 years ago that Lyle and Erik Menendez, then 21 and 18, walked into the den of their Beverly Hills mansion and fired more than a dozen shotgun rounds at their parents, killing them both. In recent years, Lyle, now 57, and Erik, now 54, have been thrust back into the media spotlight as new evidence emerged indicating they had been sexually molested by their father. After a recent TV series and documentary examining the crime and the trials were shown on Netflix, an army of young people took to social media to call for the brothers to be released.
