A former pimp accused of murdering a five-year-old child and her mother is one step closer to trial as his preliminary inquiry gets underway in Calgary. Edward Downey is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the July 2016 deaths of Sara Baillie, 34, and her daughter Taliyah Marsman, 5. A preliminary inquiry is a hearing to determine if there's sufficient evidence for the accused to be sent to trial. After a nearly week-long Amber Alert, Marsman's body was discovered and Downey was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Downey has a criminal history involving pimping, drug trafficking and weapons offences dating back more than 25 years.

Source: CBC News April 10, 2017 11:26 UTC