Friend of man accused of killing 13-year-old girl says he was ‘always on the run’

WINNIPEG – A former friend of a Winnipeg man accused of killing a 13-year-old girl told court the accused sometimes disappeared for days at a time.

Mark Grant is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Candace Derksen.

She went missing in 1984 and her body was found tied up in a shed weeks later in January 1985.

William Crockford says Grant was among his friends back in 1984, and they would hang out at his house, which was not far from where Derksen was last seen.

Crockford testified Grant also changed his hair colour multiple times.

Grant’s lawyer, Saul Simmonds, asked Crockford if Grant dyed his hair blond and later orange in November 1984 because he was on the run from police.

“He was always on the run for different things,” Crockford said.

It’s the second trial for Grant, who was arrested in 2007 using DNA evidence and found guilty by a jury in 2011 of killing Derksen. The conviction was overturned following an appeal.

The trial is expected to last several weeks.

(CJOB)