Convicted murderer David Mostyn Pritchard went to some length in planning the act and to cover his tracks afterwards, according to a Parole Board of Canada report.
Pritchard, now 51, was found guilty in December 2002 of first degree murder in the November 1995 death of Pirkko Skolos on her ranch near Topley, 275 kilometres west of Prince George.
According to the report, Pritchard made off with about 13 kilograms of marijuana, worth about $80,000 and with $5,000 cash in the process and prior to the murder and robbery, had taken photos of the ranch's layout and terrain.
After killing Skolos, he buried her in an isolated area and then to dispose of the truck in which he transported her body, arranged to have it taken apart and sold for parts. He then bought a second truck and drove to Alberta, according to the report.
But police recovered various parts of the vehicle and, testing for forensic evidence, found bloodstains, residue from the marijuana and .44-calibre casings.
In December 1996, Pritchard was arrested for theft of marijuana and trafficking and during the interrogation by police, he made threats against the officer, according to the report.
Further, the report indicated Pritchard broke his ex-girlfriend's leg and left her stranded and then tried to arrange to have buildings belonging to her family burned down to scare her away from testifying.
For those offences, he was convicted in March 1997 of trafficking, theft over $5,000, aggravated assault and uttering threats.
Pritchard has maintained an accomplice committed the murder even though the person he implicated was found to be truthful during a polygraph test, the report said.
When asked about taking the photos, Pritchard told the board he was getting shots of long-horned cattle for his young child and not to scope out the scene. Asked if he had dug a grave prior to the murder, Pritchard said he dug a hole but the purpose was to scare a rival drug dealer.
Pritchard also denied having anything to do with a 1992 murder of a drug dealer, only that he had seen the victim about a motor he wanted to purchase from Pritchard. However, Pritchard admitted to being an enforcer for drug dealers in the past.
