A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for a man accused in the death of an O’Chiese First Nation resident last year. 

Derrick Phazar Whitford, 28, a resident of the O’Chiese First Nation, is scheduled to find out if his case has enough evidence to go to trial in Rocky Mountain House Court of Justice from May 4-5, 2026.  

Whitford was charged on Jan. 28, 2025, with second-degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Travis Strawberry, an O’Chiese resident, last November. 

At the time of his arrest on Feb. 7, 2025, Whitford was also wanted on several unrelated offences, including breach of probation, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from peace officer, robbery, and several firearm-related offences. 

It was on Nov. 15, 2024, when Rocky Mountain House RCMP received a report of a body located by hunters in a wooded area of Clearwater County. 

Mounties, along with a Fish and Wildlife officer, attended and confirmed the finding of a recently deceased person with injuries. Police say the deceased was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, with the death being investigated as a homicide. 

The Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit was deployed to take over the investigation. 

Read More: Suspect in O’Chiese First Nation homicide arrested

Read more: RCMP: O’Chiese resident charged with second-degree murder remains at large.