A Bowden Institution inmate charged in the stabbing death of another inmate on Sunday reserved his plea following an appearance in Red Deer provincial court on Friday.
Keith Clinton Sandmaier, 33, returns to court July 22 to enter a plea on a second-degree murder charge in connection with the death of David Tung Louie, 33.
Sandmaier, dressed in a white T-shirt and handcuffed at the waist and ankles, looked around the courtroom often, never gazing longer than a few seconds at anyone during his five-minute appearance in the prisoner docket.
At one point, a barrel-chested man in the front row across the isle from the docket started flashing hand signals at the accused.
The signaling lasted about 90 seconds before a Canada Correction’s officer, who had helped escort Sandmaier to court, approached an Alberta sheriff standing near the docket.
The Bowden officer had been seated a few rows back on the opposite side of the man flashing the signals.
The Bowden officer spoke briefly to the sheriff, who then approached the man making the signals and escorted him out of the courtroom.
The man signalling returned later to the court to answer to his own charge.
Chief Crown prosecutor Anders Quist requested and was granted an order that Sandmaier have no contact in any manner with a list of about eight males.
Sandmaier said he understood the charge against him and told court he would be represented by Edmonton lawyer Ashraf Attia.
Louie was found in medical distress at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday. He was transported to Innisfail hospital but died of his injuries.
Louie was serving a 12-year sentence for weapons, drug and robbery-related offences.
jwilson@www.reddeeradvocate.com