Ryan Lane murder trial jury on break until Friday, told case took 'unexpected turn'

The jury was told the Ryan Lane murder trial had taken an "unexpected turn" after the prosecution rested its case on Monday, and the panel of 12 men and women were told not to come back until Friday.

Sheena Cuthill, her husband Tim Rempel and his brother Wilhelm are charged with first-degree murder, accused of killingRyan Lane in 2012 after he began fighting for visitation rights with the child he shared with Cuthill.

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The jury was told that the defence will make motions on Wednesday before Justice Alan Macleod. Those motions will be protected by a publication ban and thejury will not be told what is going on.

"These cases sometimes take unexpected turns," said Macleod. "The good news is, you're going to have a break, enjoy the good weather."

The jury has heard three weeks of evidence since the trial began on March 14.

The prosecution'stheory is that Cuthill and the Rempel brothers began plotting Lane's death when he started court proceedings to get visitations with his daughter.

The Crown said in its opening statement to the jury that it would present evidence that Cuthillgave the "Okay" to her husband for the brothers to kidnap and kill Lane.

Summary of Crown'sevidence:

• Text messages between Sheena Cuthill and her husband Tim Rempelshow the planning of Lane's killing months before he disappeared, according to the prosecution.
• Ryan Lane'sDNA was found in both brothers'vehicles (red Jeep and red truck) despite each telling police they'd never met Lane.
• Two vehicles matching those of theRempelbrotherswere spotted on video surveillance in the parking lot whereLane was last seen by his father who said hegot into the red pick-up truck.
• The brothers' cell phones were found to have pinged off cell towers in an area near Beiseker which led to a months-long search of a13,000-acrearea and eventually, the discovery of a burn barrel with human remains inside.
• Ryan Lane's class ring and pieces of his cell phone were discovered in a burn barrel nearBeisekeralong with human remains.
• Wilhelm Rempel was seen on video surveillance pressure washing the inside and outside of his red pickup truck the day after Lane disappeared. A card for the car wash was found inside his home.
• A scrap yard employee testified thatWilhelm Rempelsold his truck whichappeared to be in working condition for $130 to be used as scrap despitean offer of $500 by the employee.
• Wiretap phone callsbetween the three accused and various others were entered as exhibits including one whereWilhelm Rempel tellshis brother he "won't break for nothing,"after police interrogated him for three hours.

It remains unclear if the defence will call any witnesses, including the accused, when the jury is back on Friday.