Woman in murder case released on bail

By Lethbridge Herald on July 6, 2022.

Delon Shurtz – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – dshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A Claresholm woman charged with several other people in relation to a one-year old murder case has been released on bail and ordered to live with her father in the small southern Alberta town.

Michelle Toth, 37, who has been in custody since her arrest in May, was released from custody Tuesday and placed under the supervision of her father, who is also surety for his daughter and on the hook to pay $5,000 should she breach any conditions of her bail.

Toth is one of five people accused in the death of Lane Tailfeathers of Fort Macleod, who was reported missing on June 23, 2021. A month later Tailfeather’s remains were found in a remote area near Crowsnest Pass. RCMP investigators determined the 35-year-old man was killed in Fort Macleod between June 20 and 21 of last year.

Toth and Edward Goodrich, 51, are charged with accessory after the fact to murder and interfering with a dead body. Goodrich, who has not yet had a bail hearing, returns to court next Monday, while Toth’s next court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

Richard Lavell, 43, Miranda Turuk, 28, and Randy Giroux, 40, are charged with second-degree murder. They remain in custody and return to court next Wednesday.

In addition to the bail condition she live with her father in Claresholm, Toth, who attended court Tuesday by CCTV from the Lethbridge Correctional Centre, must also report to the RCMP weekly, remain in Alberta, and obey a curfew between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. every day. She must relinquish her passport to the RCMP, report for court when required, not consume alcohol and drugs, not possess any weapons and not communicate with the other accused.

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