A 31-year-old man accused of following and watching females while masturbating in his car has been released from custody ahead of a court date, as some west Edmonton parents vow to keep pushing for justice in the case.
Mackenzie Murray from Onoway, Alta., has been charged with seven counts of committing an indecent act, seven counts of breach of probation and a breach of a conditional sentence order.
A father – who CTV News Edmonton has agreed not to identify for the safety of his family – says his 13-year-old daughter had two encounters with the accused.
“I think this is something that’s going to stay with me my whole life,” he said Wednesday. "I’ve lived here in this neighbourhood for a long time and I’ve never heard of this happening here."
About a month ago, his daughter was walking in the Glenora neighborhood with a friend when a man in a silver car approached with the windows down. His daughter believes the man was masturbating.
Last week, the man says his daughter had another encounter with the same person. This time at the corner store where he suspects the man was recording her on his phone.
“It became very personal when it happened to my daughter twice. It just became personal. I was obsessed,” the dad explained.
He reported the incidents to police and posted photos of the suspect online with a file number for the case.
A mother of four who lives in the west end — CTV News Edmonton is not identifying her either — believes a Grade 10 student from her neighbourhood also had an encounter with the same man.
“A young girl came running up to myself on my front porch. She was very upset, in tears, shaking,” she told CTV News Edmonton. “At every intersection he tried to cut her off and at one point he did reach out and try to grab her.”
Murray's home and his car have been searched, and EPS said he was released by the courts pending the latest charges.
A court check revealed that Murray was sentenced on June 1 for committing an indecent act in public. He was handed a $100 fine and 12 months of probation.
He is scheduled to appear in provincial court in Edmonton on Oct. 3 at 8:15 a.m.
Police believe there may be more victims and additional charges forthcoming. Anyone with information is asked to call Edmonton Police Service or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Joe Scarpelli
