Travis Untinen, 36, lived in Breton, Alberta but frequently drove into Edmonton. In order to make extra money he used his minivan as an illegal taxi, giving rides for cash. At about 6:30 p.m. on December 17 he and two friends gave a 25-year-old man a ride to the Mac's convenience store near 107th Avenue and 104th Street. The man refused to pay the five-dollar fare and when Mr. Untinen confronted him he pulled a large knife and stabbed Mr. Untinen in the abdomen. The victim was treated at the scene and rushed to hospital but later died of his injuries. Police arrested the killer and charged him with second degree murder and possession of an offensive weapon. The man had been jailed numerous times for violent offences and possession of a controlled substance. In September, 2014, having heard nothing of how the case was progressing, Mr. Untinen's family contacted the Crown prosecutor's office for an update. They were shocked to learn that the Crown had stayed charges against the killer in June. The Crown declined to prosecute, citing the unlikelihood of a conviction against a plea of self-defence. The family was upset about the stay of charges and the fact that they were not notified. The Crown claimed not to have had their contact information but Mr. Untinen's brother Matt pointed out that the Untinen family are in the phone directory and that the Edmonton police also knew how to contact them. Travis Untinen had a history of drug addiction and he was scheduled to appear in court for leaving the scene of an accident and driving with no insurance. Matt Untinen wondered if his brother's personal difficulties affected the Crown's decision not to prosecute. Staff Sergeant Bill Clark of the Edmonton Police homicide unit did not think Mr. Untinen's background had any influence on the Crown. Nevertheless he shared the family's concern over the stay of charges. An Edmonton Police staff lawyer reviewed the case and concluded that there was sufficient evidence to press a murder charge and that there was "no self defence angle."

Travis Untinen. (Source: Edmonton Sun, December 19, 2014.) The Edmonton Police Service therefore asked for a review of the Crown's decision but the review was carried out by the same prosecutor who made the initial recommendation not to proceed. Sergeant Clark found it "a little concerning" that the review was not conducted by an independent third party. A year after the his brother's death Matt Untinen and his family were pushing for an independent review of the case although he worried they had already lost precious time. With the charges stayed in June the Crown had only a six-month window in which to reactivate the charges. "We feel this individual [the killer] is still a threat to society. And we believe that if he's not [made] accountable that he'll do this to somebody else."