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Castor murder suspects appear in court

Two men charged in the deaths of a Castor area couple and their daughter appeared in Red Deer court via closed circuit tv this morning.

Two men charged in the deaths of a Castor area couple and their daughter appeared in Red Deer court via closed circuit tv this morning.

Charges of three counts of first-degree murder were read to Jason Klaus, 38, and his friend and business associate Joshua Frank, 29. Frank was further charged with endangering an animal for allegedly shooting the family dog Keela.

Both men are remanded in custody at Red Deer Remand Centre, where they appeared via closed circuit television.

The two men have been charged in the deaths of Klaus’s parents and sister following a house fire in Castor in December. The bodies of father Gordon Klaus, 61, and his daughter Monica Klaus, 40, were discovered in the burned-out house. The body of Sandra Klaus, 62, has not been recovered but police believe she perished in the house as well.

The two accused are to return to court on Sept. 17.

Police announced the charges at a news conference on Saturday in Calgary, where they revealed that divers had discovered a key piece of evidence in the Red Deer River near Big Knife Provincial Park last month. Police have not disclosed what was discovered.