Resolution expected on charges in Tia Blood case

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on March 25, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A 20-year-old man charged with manslaughter and interfering with a dead body is expected to resolve his charges when he returns to court at the end of the month.

The matter for Hunter Alexander Frank was in Lethbridge provincial court Friday, but adjourned one week for anticipated disposition of those charges, as well as related and unrelated charges of drug trafficking, theft, taking a motor vehicle without consent, drug possession, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and several counts of failing to comply with probation and release orders.

Frank, who remains in custody and was not required to be in court Friday, was initially charged with the interference and theft charges last October after the body of 34-year-old Tia Blood was found in the County of Lethbridge. Blood went missing Oct. 19, and her body was found five days later southwest of Coalhurst. At the time, police said the cause of death was undetermined.

The accused was facing the additional charges of manslaughter and drug trafficking when his matter was in court Feb. 2, but they were adjourned with the rest of the charges to allow defence and the Crown to discuss resolution.

The accused has been remanded at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre since his arrest, but was set to have a bail hearing in January and present his grandmother as surety for his release. The bail application was abandoned, however, after it appeared the charges would be resolved.

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