SHERWOOD PARK — RCMP have upgraded charges against one of two 14-year-old boys who escaped a home for troubled youths and were then arrested in the deaths of an Edmonton-area couple.
Police say one boy, who was originally charged with being an accessory, now faces two counts of first-degree murder — the same as the other youth.
The two were charged after the bodies of Susan Trudel, who was 50, and 68-year-old Barry Boenke were found on a rural property near Sherwood Park.
The deaths prompted the Alberta government to order the closure of a group home nearby run by Bosco Homes.
Residents who live near the home said at the time they were fearful and wanted stricter security at the facility.
The two youths are to appear in Sherwood Park youth court on Tuesday.