INSIDE: Violin virtuosos coming for Christmas concert
Pg. 21 T H U R S D A Y
November 21, 2013
16 N E W S ,
SPORTS,
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Cascades women perfect so far
E N T E R T A I N M E N T abbotsfordtimes.com
Ultralight crash claims life of Abbotsford pilot Weather speculated as factor in fatal flight ROCHELLE BAKER RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com
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he Abbotsford aviation community is mourning the loss of a valued member of its fraternity after a fatal ultralight crash on Monday evening. The flying community is reporting pilot Marty Lehner was killed in the accident near Ross Road just south of Highway 1 and within reach of the Abbotsford International Airport. Adrian Renkers, vice-president of the Abbotsford Flying Club, said Lehner was a well-liked and involved member of the aviation group. “It’s a sad day for everybody in the flying club,” said Renkers. “He was really outgoing and friendly, and an all around nice guy. He participated in all the socials and fly-outs.” Approximately a dozen people gathered at the air club on Monday night to wait for news after the search was initiated for Lehner’s plane, he said. The Abbotsford pilot left behind a wife and two adult children. Lehner, who owned a sprinkler installation company, had been a member of the flying club for more than three years. He was an ardent flyer and owned four aircraft, including the high-performance ultra– FACEBOOK PHOTOS light – a Pipistrel Virus – that he was piloting Main photo is of the ultralight plane Marty Lehner was flying when he crashed just south of the Trans Canada Highway near Ross Road during on Monday, said Renkers. Monday’s rainstorm. It’s believed the aircraft contacted power lines in the area. Lehner, who left behind a wife and two children, did not survive the see ULTRALIGHT, page A7 crash. Lehner, pictured above during a fishing trip, was described as outgoing and an “all around nice guy” and a valued member of the flying club.
Father of slain gangster guilty of uttering threats Ex-Mountie told support group of dreams involving taking primary school hostage and shooting students ROCHELLE BAKER RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com
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he father of a murdered Red Scorpion gang member was found guilty Wednesday of uttering threats to take an elementary school hostage and shoot children to draw attention to the lack of progress in his son’s case.
Retired RCMP officer Michael Denis LeClair “crossed the line” when he told participants in his Abbotsford support group on Oct. 30, 2102 that he had tried to get a gun to fulfill his violent reoccurring dream, said B.C. provincial court judge Paul Dohm. LeClair, 60, began attending the group in May 2012 after his 26-year-
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old son Kevin, a close friend of the Bacon brothers, was gunned down in a targeted shooting at a Langley shopping centre in 2009. Rival United Nations gang members Conor D’Monte and Cory Vallee were charged in January 2011 with murder but remain at large. LeClair was having difficulty dealing with the grief around his son’s
death and was increasingly frustrat- case and kill them himself. ed by the lack of progress with the LeClair had told the support group RCMP investigation on various occasions into the murder, “Nobody was ever in any about his dreams of taking a school hosnoted Dohm. tage and shooting its He’d had a num- danger from me. Tell the students. b e r o f n e g a t i v e RCMP to find the guys But facilitainteractions with who killed my kid.” tors didn’t believe police, one of which involved him say– Michael Denis LeClair LeClair would act on the fantasy until ing he was giving he mentioned trying RCMP two years to solve his son’s murder, or he’d track to obtain a firearm. see GUILTY, page A5 down the suspects charged in the
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