Courtroom erupts when teen cleared of Alberta murders

An outburst from thefamilies of two murder victims halted court proceedingsFriday aftera teen was found notguilty of the murders of two peopleeast of Edmonton four years ago.

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Brian Burrows acquitted the teen after tossing out evidence gathered by RCMPin a so-called"Mr. Big" sting.

The decision angeredthe victims' families, promptingone man to standand scream at the teen, "Go to hell."Other family members alsostood and began swearing at the teen.

Security guards rushed into the courtroom andescorted the teen fromthe prisoner's box back to cells, and the judge quietly left the court.

The RCMP's "K" Division released a statement following the verdict saying it respects the courts decision.

"Although the evidence presented at trial did not result in a conviction, the RCMP is satisfied that we conducted a thorough investigation in this case," the statement reads. "The RCMP will not be seeking other suspects in this matter."

The accused teen, who turned 18 today, wascharged with two counts of second-degree murder in the June 2009 deaths ofSusan Trudel, 50,and Barry Boenke, 68, on a rural property near Ardrossan, Alta.

His identity cannot be revealed under provisions of the Youth Justice Act.

In his decision, Burrows blasted the Mr. Bigoperation saying the RCMP may have abused its power, violatedthe teen's rights and coerced a confession.

"Aspects of the circumstancesof the Mr. Bigoperation in this case give rise to abuse of power concerns," he said.

Admitting the evidencecould "bring the administration ofjustice into disrepute," he added.

The accused andanotherteen had run away from a nearby treatment facility run by Bosco Homes. They werecaught joy-riding in Boenke's truck just hours after the couple were bludgeoned and shot to death.

The teens were arrested and charged, but the charges were eventually stayed when a judge refused to admit a police interview as evidence. No charges were ever returned against the second teen, who testified as a Crown witness against the accused.

During the Mr. Big operation, RCMPofficers posed as gangstersand tried to gain the teen's trust to get aconfession.

Statementsmade by the teen during the operationwere the subject of an ongoing hearing within his trial to determine whether they could be admitted as evidence.

Burrows said the teen's statements to Mr. Big mayhave been coerced.

"In my assessment, the circumstances give rise to a very real and very strong prospect that his confessions to Mr. Big are unreliable," he said.

Burrows said there was nothing in the teen'sstatement to Mr. Big that he could not have learned at a preliminary hearing that took place prior to the original charges being dropped.

Burrows also found thatthe teen's rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms may have beenviolated during the operation.

Burrows did find the teen guilty of stealing Boenke's truck, sentencing him toprobation for one year.