Accused in Hinton slayings was not subject to conditions

A convicted sex offender who is facing second-degree murder charges in the deaths of a woman and her infant child was not subject to monitoring at the time of the crimes, RCMP say.

After receiving inquiries from both the media and the public, Alberta RCMP major crimes said in a Tuesday news release that Robert Keith Major had not had to follow any conditions under the province’s high-risk offender program since July 2020.

Officers responded to a report of a missing mother, 24, and 16-month-old child last seen in Hinton on Sept. 16 around 6 p.m. The following day, RCMP confirmed they had found the two deceased.

RCMP said the homicides took place in Major’s apartment before Hinton RCMP received the missing persons complaint.

Autopsies performed over the weekend ruled the manner of death of both people as homicide.

RCMP said Major lived in the same apartment complex as the two victims but no other connection between them was identified.

In 2017, Edmonton Police Service issued a warning about Major, saying he posed a risk to commit a sexual offence against women or girls in the community.

Major, 53, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of indignity to human remains.

Major is scheduled to appear in Hinton provincial court on Oct. 20. Police are not looking for other suspects.